Safiullin denies Popyrin in Brisbane epic, sets Arnaldi quarter-final

Russian Roman Safiullin edged out Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (9), 6-4, 7-6 (3) to advance to the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International on Wednesday night.

The match lasted just short of three hours, and saw momentum ebb and flow for each player. With the crowd firmly behind their lovable home player, Safiullin was cool under pressure, clinching it in a final set tiebreak. The Russian’s serve was a huge help in the victory, with the world No 39 firing down 23 aces across the three sets to go with his 22 other winners.

Safiullin, ranked No 39, will play Italian Matteo Arnaldi next.

Popyrin, ranked No 40, edged out Christopher O’Connell (6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4)) in the previous round. Ahead of his victory, the Russian won against American Ben Shelton, the No 3 seed (6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3).