Alexei Popyrin's slide in a disappointing 2022 campaign for one of Australia's brightest young tennis hopes has continued with another defeat in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 22-year-old Sydneysider, who had endured a wretched start to the year, looked to have turned a corner after picking up a lucky loser's berth and beating world No.19 tournament Nikoloz Basilashvili in the opening round.
