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Alexei Popyrin’s strong display against Taylor Fritz highlighted his growing comfort on the surface and suggested he could be a dangerous floater in the coming weeks.
Alexei Popyrin stuns Taylor Fritz(Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)Alexei Popyrin spoiled Taylor Fritz’s long-awaited return to the ATP Tour by defeating the American top seed 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 16 of the Gonet Geneva Open on Wednesday.
Fritz was making his first appearance since suffering a fourth-round loss to Jiri Lehecka at the Miami Open back in March. The world No. 4 looked rusty during the 84-minute clash on the Swiss clay courts, struggling to find his rhythm against the in-form Australian.
Popyrin, ranked 61st, delivered a strong performance packed with aggressive baseline play. Notably, he fired 25 winners and stayed solid in the long rallies, breaking Fritz at key moments to secure the straight-sets victory and advance to the quarter-finals.
Alexei Popyrin builds momentum ahead of French Open
Alexei Popyrin has been showing positive signs recently. In Rome, the 25-year-old notched impressive wins over Matteo Berrettini and Jakub Mensik before falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He carried that confidence into Geneva, where he also defeated local qualifier Clement Tabur earlier in the tournament.
This win marks Popyrin’s first victory against a top-10 player this season and his 14th overall in his career. It comes at a perfect time, just days before the French Open, one of the biggest Grand Slams of the year on clay.
After the match, a delighted Popyrin said: “I am very happy. I am glad to be playing this level finally this year. As I think everyone knows, it has been a tough year for me. So playing this level a week before a Slam is always a great feeling.”
Looking ahead to quarter-finals
Alexei Popyrin will now face either three-time Geneva champion Casper Ruud or Belgium’s Raphael Collignon in the last eight. Both players are strong on clay, promising another tough test for the Australian.
Other notable results
In other results, young American Learner Tien pulled off an impressive upset by beating Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(4), 7-6(2) in two tight tie-breaks. This victory sends Tien into his fifth quarter-final of the season and his second on clay surfaces after his run in Houston.
Meanwhile, Argentina’s Mariano Navone, fresh from winning the Bucharest title in April, continued his strong clay form. He defeated third seed Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in straightforward fashion.
The Gonet Geneva Open serves as an important tune-up event for players preparing for the upcoming Roland Garros. With several big names already out, the tournament is wide open, and emerging talents like Popyrin and Tien are seizing the opportunity to make their mark on the European clay swing.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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