
Alexei Popyrin's hammering at the hands of rising Czech youngster Jakub Mensik in Dubai has put the tin hat on a deflating week for Australia's tennis men in ATP events.
Popyrin, back in the world's top 50 and having just enjoyed his first significant win of the year over Poland's Kamil Majchrzak, was quickly brought down to earth on Wednesday in the last-16 of the Dubai Tennis Championships with his 6-3 6-2 loss in just 64 minutes.