Alexei Popyrin is amongst 12 Australians scheduled to compete on day six at Wimbledon 2024.
London, Nice Britain, 6 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin is happy to check himself in opposition to world No.2 Novak Djokovic on day six at Wimbledon 2024.
“He’s most likely the very best grass-courter on this planet,” the 24-year-old Australian mentioned of the seven-time Wimbledon champion forward of their third-round showdown.
“He’s tremendous comfy on (grass) and although he had surgical procedure just a few weeks in the past, he’s nonetheless enjoying pretty nicely and shifting very well. I’m going to anticipate a full, match Novak Djokovic and I’m going to should convey my A-game on the market.”
Djokovic is on a 14-match profitable streak in opposition to Australian opponents at Grand Slam stage, along with his final loss coming in opposition to Lleyton Hewitt on the US Open in 2006.
Nonetheless, Popyrin can take confidence from an encouraging efficiency in opposition to Djokovic on the Australian Open earlier this 12 months, the place he prolonged the then-world No.1 to 4 units within the second spherical.
“I had my possibilities in Australia,” the world No.47 famous. “I felt comfy on the market at Rod Laver (Enviornment) with the Aussie crowd behind me, however I feel he’s going to be an entire completely different beast at Wimbledon.”
But Popyrin nonetheless charges his possibilities in opposition to the 37-year-old Serbian, who has gained 47 of his previous 50 grass-court matches.
“I don’t need to say that I’m tremendous assured or not tremendous assured, I’m simply going to go on the market and benefit from the second,” he declared.
“(However) I really feel like I do have the sport.”
Alex de Minaur additionally faces an achieved participant in French qualifier Lucas Pouille.
Though the 30-year-old Pouille is presently ranked No.212, he’s a former top-10 participant and a confirmed performer on the Grand Slam stage.
“I feel he’s received the expertise on the grass, proper?” De Minaur mentioned of the Wimbledon 2016 quarterfinalist and Australian Open 2019 semifinalist.
“His excessive stage may be very excessive, and he could make it very laborious on any participant on the market on his day. So, you realize, he’s most likely going to take it to me … I’ve received to be bringing my A-game.”
An additional 9 Australians characteristic in doubles matches on day six. This consists of the first-time pairing of Rinky Hijikata and John Friends, who spoiled Andy Murray’s Wimbledon farewell of their opening spherical.
“I assumed for us it was an amazing begin and hopefully we’ll proceed getting higher,” mentioned Friends, a former world No.2 and Wimbledon doubles finalist in 2015.
Their draw doesn’t get any simpler, with world No.12 Neal Skupski and world No.20 Michael Venus ready within the second spherical. The ninth seeds are unbeaten in 9 matches on grass this season, after sweeping back-to-back ATP titles at Queen’s Membership and Eastbourne.
“There are not any simple matches on the market. We’ll take it to them and see what stage we are able to convey,” Friends mentioned. “It is going to be one other thrilling match and hopefully a whole lot of enjoyable.”
The Wimbledon Junior Championships additionally start as we speak, with New South Wales expertise Pavle Marinkov taking up reigning Roland Garros boys’ singles finalist Tomasz Berkieta within the opening spherical.
Wimbledon is broadcast reside in Australia on the 9 Community and Stan Sport, with protection starting from 7.30pm AEST.
Aussies in motion on day six:
Males’s singles, third spherical
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v [Q] Lucas Pouille (FRA), No.3 Courtroom, first match (from 8pm AEST)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB), Centre Courtroom, third match
Males’s doubles, first spherical
[Alt] Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)/Reese Stalder (USA) v Nicolas Mahut (FRA)/Skander Mansouri (TUN), Courtroom 16, first match, 2-4 to complete
Males’s doubles, second spherical
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) v [3] Rajeev Ram (USA)/Joe Salisbury (GBR), No.3 Courtroom, third match
[15] Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Fabrice Martin (FRA)/Matwe Middelkoop (NED), Courtroom 8, fourth match, 6-4 3-3 to complete
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/John Friends (AUS) v [9] Neal Skupski (GBR)/Michael Venus (NZL), Courtroom 14, fourth match
[2] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v Constantin Frantzen (GER)/Hendrik Jebens (GER), Courtroom 8, fifth match
Girls’s doubles, second spherical
[Alt] Olivia Gadecki (AUS)/Elixane Lechemia (FRA) v [4] Katerina Siniakova (CZE)/Taylor Townsend (USA), Courtroom 17, second match, 1-2 to complete
[3] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Timea Babos (HUN)/Nadiia Kichenok (UKR), Courtroom 5, fourth match
Boys’ singles, first spherical
Pavle Marinkov (AUS) v [4] Tomasz Berkieta (POL), Courtroom 10, third match
> VIEW: Full Wimbledon 2024 day six schedule
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