'NOT THE WAY TENNIS IS GOING': POPYRIN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SCHEDULING; DE MINAUR SURVIVES SCARE

The Monte Carlo crowd applaud Alexei Popyrin after defeating Frances Tiafoe. (Getty/Clive Brunskill)

Alexei Popyrin has clinched back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025 after another hard-fought three-set battle at the Monte Carlo Masters, joining Alex de Minaur in the third-round.

Exactly like his opening match, Popyrin conceded the first set to 14th-seed Frances Tiafoe but turned the tide in another confidence-boosting result.

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Because of the Monte Carlo Country Club's small venue size, it is one of two Masters events on the calendar that don't play for two weeks.

"I quite like the one-week tournaments," confessed Popyrin. "When you play back-to-back days it kind of gives you a rhythm that you don't really get when you have a day off.

"That's not the way tennis is going, so I have to get used to the longer weeks, and I think I did a good job in the US Open last year keeping that momentum and hopefully I can do it now."

Having arrived in Monte Carlo with a negative 2-7 win-loss record for the season, the 25-year-old is using the Principality as a springboard for a fresh start.

"Slowly slowly getting there. Never easy trying to get confidence back, but through the tough times you have to be mentally strong and I think that's what I've been doing," Popyrin explained.

"Even the past three months haven't been easy, but I always try to keep a positive outlook. I know how quickly it can go down. 2022 was a great example of that [when I] started the year well and then started putting extra pressure on myself.

"But with the addition of Wayne [Ferreira] in my team, it's been really great because he's come in and said, 'Look, the year starts now for you. It's still a long season', so when I come in here, it's focusing on the things we've worked on."

Popyrin's new coach, Ferreira, previously coached Tiafoe for four years in what was a successful partnership.

The Aussie suffered a heartbreaking loss to the American at last year's US Open in the fourth-round.

When asked if Ferreira's insight played a role in his victory, Popyrin revealed he soaked in every ounce of wisdom.

"I think he knows Frances' game inside and out, so that was a bit of an advantage for me," he said.

"He gave me some good tips that I actually didn't use in US Open, and also I don't think clay is Frances' biggest surface. He flew in from Houston two days ago, so also he was a little tired and jet-lagged.

"All advantages to me, but I tried not to think about those and focus on my game."

If Popyrin wants to go one better than his round of 16 showing at last year's Monte Carlo edition, then he must take down 2024 finalist Casper Ruud.

Earlier in the day, Alex de Minaur managed to survive a scare against unseeded Tomáš Macháč to prevail 3-6 6-0 6-3.

"I'm extremely happy with that," he said.

"I don't think I did much wrong in the first set, and it was more just him being very aggressive and dictating play and not really giving me much chances to get into the match."

A rematch of last year's French Open fourth-round against Daniil Medvedev will play out in Monte Carlo for a place in the quarter-finals, a match which de Minaur won in four sets.

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