After three-and-a-half hours in the sweltering Ohio heat, Alexei Popyrin has run out of gas in an epic Cincinnati Open third-round tie with ninth seed Andrey Rublev.
Popyrin lost 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 5-7 after a see-saw encounter that could easily have gone the other way.
The Australian, himself ranked 19, will have the consolation of a very good workout ahead of the US Open, and may appreciate some rest after such a draining encounter. However, his chances of a top-16 ranking and better seeding slot in New York appear to be gone.
