Alexei Popyrin decided to seek a reset and a refresh amid his 2026 woes -- and the break appeared to have done him the world of good as he returned to down a celebrated Roman gladiator in his home arena at the Italian Open.
Australia's No.2 Popyrin reckoned his comprehensive 6-2 6-3 victory over former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini on his home Campo Centrale court at the Foro Italico on Thursday was an important win in a difficult campaign.
Silencing the home fans while playing one of his most solid matches of a year in which he's slumped to his lowest ranking for 20 months was a welcome tonic for the 26-year-old Sydneysider.
