Alexei Popyrin says he couldn't have imagined he'd end up as the last Aussie man standing at the French Open - but he's determined to keep the flag flying high after ensuring there would be no depressing hangover following Alex de Minaur's shock exit.
On a roasting Friday in Paris, the country's No.2 player got hot in the Court 14 furnace in which de Minaur's hopes had crashed and burned the previous day, downing doughty Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-4 7-6 (13-11) 7-6 (7-5) to reach the last-16 without having yet dropped a set.
"We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round," admitted Popyrin, when asked if he'd have thought at the start of the week he'd be the final men's survivor.
