Overview
- Popyrin fell 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-4) at Melbourne Park as Alexandre Muller surged through the deciding super tiebreak.
- He led 4-2 in the fourth set, 5-2 in the tiebreak, and served for the match at 5-3 in the fifth but failed to finish the job.
- Despite delivering 40 aces, Popyrin faltered at key moments and Muller capitalized to complete the comeback.
- The 26-year-old said he was "shattered," warned his tennis "can't keep going on like this," and admitted he didn’t know when results would turn.
- He received treatment for a pre-existing calf issue, noted repeat cramping on the same court, and will sit out the Ecuador Davis Cup tie to protect his season and ranking.