US Open: Tiafoe beats Djokovic conqueror Popyrin

Alexei Popyrin shocked the tennis world with his victory against Novak Djokovic. But the Australian was eliminated in the next round of the US Open.

Frances Tiafoe has stopped the run of Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Alexei Popyrin at the US Open and reached the quarterfinals. The American beat the Australian 6:4, 7:6 (7:3), 2:6, 6:3 and is thus among the best eight at the Grand Slam tournament in New York for the third time.

Tiafoe will now face Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. “When I was a child and hit balls against a wall, I dreamed of playing on this court,” enthused the 26-year-old during the winner’s interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world.

The 25-year-old Popyrin lost the second set against Tiafoe despite leading 5-3 and 40-0 on his own serve and was unable to turn things around even after winning the third set.

Popyrin had surprisingly defeated Djokovic in the third round of the tournament, causing the Serbian superstar to be eliminated from the US Open for the first time since 2006.