Live: Popyrin off to a flyer against legendary Djokovic in US Open ...

Alexei Popyrin has moved to a dominant position in his quest to upset legend Novak Djokovic in their third round clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, with his excellent serving coming to the fore amid a 2-1 lead.

The 25-year-old, who pushed the 24-time major winner to four sets in their outings at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, ensured this encounter would go at least the distance as he moved to within one set of the biggest win of his career.

Popyrin is seeking to become the first Australian to defeat the Serbian legend in a grand slam match since Lleyton Hewitt at the US Open in 2006, though both Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur have managed the feat on the regular ATP Tour.

Watch every game of every round this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free

The 28th seed survived a significant challenge on serve at 2-3 but then produced a 10-point surge to clinch the opening set, with his thunderous forehand and willingness to attack the net a feature to date.

He broke his rival for a 3-2 lead in the second set and was able to serve it out without any difficulty, punching a backhand winner into the opening court after serving wide to the deuce court to clinch it.

THIRD SET

In any match involving Djokovic, it is important not to count ones chickens before they have hatched. And as a rattler on the Long Island Railroad line that runs behind Arthur Ashe Station thundered past with Popyrin serving at 0-1, Djokovic broke for the first time.

It was a reminder that while the Popyrin Express had sprinted out of the station, reaching the destination was no guarantee. Just a year ago on this court, his 37-year-old rival had overcome a similar deficit against Laslo Djere on the way to clinching the title.

And while Popyrin performed brilliantly when winning the Montreal Masters earlier in August, managing the deed over five sets against the most successful man in history was always going to prove difficult.

After all, he had run down players the calibre of Roger Federer, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas from this position in the past.

With the crowd behind the only man to post at least 90 wins in all four majors, the world No. 2 threatened to steam back into the match. Having played at an extremely high level for the first 95 minutes, errors started to flow from Popyrin’s end of the court more regularly.

That said, the point Popyrin and Djokovic played with the Australian serving at 0-13, 15-30 in the set is well worth tracking down and watching again and again, as it highlights the Sydneysider’s agility and range of shotmaking and also the Serbian’s incredible movement.

For a 37-year-old? My word. Remarkable. But what has not been as extraordinary is his serving through the tournament and Djokovic offered Popyrin a reprieve at 3-1.

To his immense credit, the angular right-hander pressed the Serbian hard in the game, eventually retrieving the break when Djokovic pushed two forehands wide from deuce.

But there has been no-one better than Djokovic at breaking immediately after dropping serve and the Serbian managed the deed once again.

After dropping serve for the first time in the match when leading 30-0 at 0-1, he again lost his delivery despite being in a strong position in his serving game.

Popyrin will rue a couple of double faults in a game he led 40-15 when seeking to level the set and the 10-time Australian Open chance waved his arms to the crowd after seizing the upper-hand once again.

In a sign of a significant momentum swing, Djokovic was able to break for the third time in the set to clinch it 6-2.

SECOND SET

Popyrin was able to seize the upper-hand in the early stages of the second set when, on his third break point at 2-all, he drew Djokovic into an error after drawing the four-time US Open champion forward with a low-sliced backhand directed to the Serbian’s forehand.

Djokovic made a serious bid to level when forcing the Sydneysider to deuce with Popyrin serving at 4-3 but the three-time ATP Tour titleist was able to see off the challenge when holding his composure in a searching rally.

But there was a concerning moment in the following service game when the Australian pulled up short after pushing wide in a bid to scramble a forehand.

He leant on a box on the side of the court for several seconds and Djokovic watched with clear interest as a replay was shown. The Australian barely moved on the next two points and looked towards his box as he walked to the change of ends.

But he did not call for a trainer and, on the opening point of his bid to clinch a two set lead, moved well to finish a rally with a crisply struck backhand down the line.

Djokovic’s struggles with his serve, which had been below-par in his first two wins, surfaced in the second set when he struck a couple of unforced errors.

FIRST SET

The encounter started exactly 90 minutes after its scheduled time due to the late finish in the all-American epic Frances Tiafoe clinched over Ben Shelton in five sets in the afternoon session.

Djokovic has struggled on his serve in the first two rounds, describing his level as “awful” after a win over compatriot Laslo Djere, who withdrew early in the third set on Wednesday night due to injury.

But he began with two aces in the opening game to the advantage court – one on a second serve – in a more promising start for the Serbian, who ultimately landed 50 percent of his first serves for the set.

The combatants held at relative ease in the first five games before Djokovic launched the first real challenge in a game that he started by spanking a forehand return winner.

Popyrin saved five break points in all – three in succession from 0-40 – to suggest he had the appetite for the fight ahead. Djokovic had declared prior to the match that he needed to “step it up”. And he certainly did that on serve until 4-all, when the Aussie surged.

The Montreal Masters winner broke the 24-time major winner to love to move to a 5-4 lead. When thumping a forehand winner to bring up three break points, he bellowed ‘C’mon’. He then played a superb point capped by a backhand lob that drew an error from his rival.

His confidence blooming, Popyrin clubbed a couple of forehand winners and then a brilliant serve-and-volley point to close out the first set by winning the last 10 points.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: Alexei Popyrin of Australia returns a shot against Pedro Martinez Portero of Spain during their Men's Singles Second Round match on Day Three of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28, 2024 in the Flushing neighbourhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Luke Hales/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Luke Hales / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP

trial today >