Early exits for Holger Rune, Auger-Aliassime in Adelaide

Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a strong second half of the 2022 season, picking up titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel, as well as helping Canada to the Davis Cup crown, but failed to reach those levels in a 6-4 7-6(5) loss to Popyrin.

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime makes a forehand return to Australia's Alexei Popryin during their Round of 32 match at the Adelaide International Tennis tournament in Adelaide, Australia, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Kelly Barnes)

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World number six Felix Auger-Aliassime began his season with a straight-sets defeat by Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin on Monday while Holger Rune crashed out to Yoshihito Nishioka in the ATP 250 Adelaide International 1 first round.

Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a strong second half of the 2022 season, picking up titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel, as well as helping Canada to the Davis Cup crown, but failed to reach those levels in a 6-4 7-6(5) loss to Popyrin.

Another Adelaide upset!

Popyrin finishes off Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6 to score his third career top 10 win.#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/Y2ZYzdxACZ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2023

The 23-year-old Australian fired 11 aces against his second-seeded opponent to wrap up the biggest victory of his career. His previous two wins over top 10 opponents, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas, came via retirements.

Fabulous Felix 🔥@felixtennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/6WOpguqEC2

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2023

“I played really well, really solid. I served well and used my forehand when I had to, solid on my backhand … it was down to all the hard work I did in the off-season with my team,” Popyrin said. “I’m just really grateful for this win.

“It’s up there (with the other big wins). After a tough season last year to come out first match and beat a guy like Felix is a great feeling and the hard work is paying off.”

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Up next for the world number 120 is American Marcos Giron, who won his opening match against French veteran Richard Gasquet on Sunday.
Denmark’s Rune, who won three titles in 2022 including the Paris Masters, where the 19-year-old beat Novak Djokovic in the final, lost 2-6 6-4 6-4 to Nishioka.

The Japanese player meets American Mackenzie McDonald next.

Miomir Kecmanovic overcame Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-4 6-4 and could play Daniil Medvedev in the second round if the third-seeded Russian gets past Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday.

Also in action on the second day of the tournament are Djokovic, Denis Shapovalov, Jannik Sinner, Andy Murray and Karen Khachanov.