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Popyrin survives Serbia Open cliffhanger

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Alexei Popyrin has battled his way into ther last 16 of the Serbia Open in Belgrade.
Camera IconAlexei Popyrin has battled his way into ther last 16 of the Serbia Open in Belgrade. Credit: EPA

Alexei Popyrin has saved match points, fighting back back from a set and a break down, to advance to the round of 16 at the Serbia Open.

The Australian faced a first-round exit when qualifier Francisco Cerundolo held match points in the 10th and 12th games and tiebreaker in the third set before closing out a remarkable 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) victory.

But somehow the 21-year-old maintained his resolve to win the final three points of the two hour and 35 minute match.

His next opponent at the ATP 250 level clay-court event will be Italian qualifier Gianluca Mager, who accounted for ninth-seeded Serb Laslo Djere in straight sets.

Popyrin, who is ranked a career-high 79th and won his first main-tour title earlier this year, dropped the first set after being broken in the ninth game and fell behind immediately in set two.

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However, he broke back to level at 2-2 and after seven mini-breaks in the second-set tiebreaker the match was all square.

Popyrin lost the first 13 points of the deciding set and later faced match points on serve at 5-4 and 6-5 down and another at 6-5 down in the tiebreaker but found a way to progress.

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