Popyrin Overcomes Cramp, Wawrinka For Umag Crown

Physically struggling in humid conditions late in Sunday’s final at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Alexei Popyrin let loose to secure victory against Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250.

Popyrin defeated the 16-time tour-level champion Wawrinka 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to claim his second ATP Tour title after a gritty third-set showing on the Croatian clay. The Australian suffered a bout of cramp in his right leg in the fourth game of the decider that severely hindered his movement. Forced to go for broke at every opportunity to shorten rallies, his change of tactics proved successful as he forged a hard-earned two-hour, 36-minute triumph.

“All tournament I’ve been fighting battles that I don’t know how I won. This one tops it all,” said Popyrin in his on-court interview. “My quad was done at 2-1. I felt it cramp, I felt it strain. I think it’s pulled, but I managed to dig deep. I don’t know how I won it, honestly. I honestly don’t know.”

Wawrinka absorbed severe pressure from the impressive Popyrin in the early stages of the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting but rallied from 3-5 to take the opening set in a tie-break. Despite that setback, Popyrin maintained his relentless powerful hitting to level the match before being forced into his final-set heroics.

“I even told the physio when he came out,” said Popyrin. “He said, ‘If you go any more then it will be tough’. I said, ‘There’s no point in quitting now, I’m here in the final. If I lose, I lose. If I retire, I lose anyway. So I have a better chance of winning if I stay in’, so that’s what I decided to do.”

The former World No. 3 Wawrinka was chasing his first tour-level crown since his Geneva triumph in 2017. Although he struck some trademark backhand winners to the delight of the Umag crowd, he was unable to prevent Popyrin from converting four of nine break points en route to victory.

BOOM 💥

Huge return from @AlexeiPopyrin99 🔥@CroatiaOpenUmag | #ATPUmag pic.twitter.com/OEV8G2HFeY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 30, 2023

“It’s an unbelievable honour to play somebody like Stan in a final,” said Popyrin. “I grew up watching him, Roger, Rafa, Novak play. To play him in a final and beat him in a final, words can’t describe how happy I am. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

The 23-year-old Poyprin lifted his maiden ATP Tour crown on indoor hard courts in Singapore in 2021. Sunday’s win in Umag ensured he will rise 33 spots to a new career-high of No. 57 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday.