Australia's challenge at the Japan Open has crumbled at the quarter-final stage after Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin both succumbed to inspired opponents in Tokyo.
De Minaur's push to reach the end-of-season ATP Finals may well be over after he was outplayed by resurgent Russian Aslan Karatsev 6-3 6-2 at the Ariake Coliseum on Friday night.
Then afterwards on the same court, Popyrin must have been left kicking himself as he went down 7-5 2-6 7-5 to young surprise packet Shintaro Mochizuki, who was cheered to the rafters by an ecstatic home crowd.
