Alex de Minaur’s smooth path at Wimbledon has eased further after his third-round opponent Lucas Pouille pulled out with injury less than an hour before the start of their match, gifting the big Australian hope a place in the last 16.
The national No.1, who has not lost a set in his first two matches, has made the second week at Wimbledon for a second time.
He remains on a collision course to potentially meet either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or fellow Sydneysider Alexei Popyrin in the quarter-finals.
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Popyrin and world No.2 Djokovic will meet on Centre Court later on Saturday in a repeat of their 2023 Australian Open clash.
Pouille, the former French No.1 who has made a stirring return by battling through the qualifiers at Wimbledon, has been recently bedevilled by injuries.
It was revealed soon before he was due on court that he had been derailed by an abdominal injury, with de Minaur forced to abandon his warm-up and head home.
Pouille had already spoken this week of being troubled by injuries — including in his second-round win over injury-hit Aussie veteran Thanasi Kokkinakis.
“I had to compensate. Against Kokkinakis, my whole team told me to stop (in the first set). I told myself that if I got a break, I’d stop,” he said.
“I was afraid of aggravating the injury. I called the physiotherapist who got me to hold on … I was told (by my team) to give up so as not to jeopardise the summer.”
Prior to Pouille’s withdrawal, de Minaur had never previously received the bonus of a walkover win at a grand slam.
The Aussie will next take on either world No.34 Arthur Fils, who has beaten him once already this season, or Russia’s 44th-ranked Roman Safiullin.
Meanwhile, Popyrin can hardly believe a supposed once-in-a-lifetime chance has actually come around twice, as he aims to follow de Minaur on the road to Wimbledon glory.
That still feels a mighty long way off, though, as Popyrin has to first achieve the unlikely feat of downing seven-times champion Novak Djokovic in Saturday’s (Sunday AEST) third round.
Popyrin played alongside ‘Demon’ when they were young, and has watched his old friend surge to becoming a top-10 player while he still dreams of the big breakthrough he feels his talent and dedication will eventually produce.
“What Alex is doing drives every Aussie a lot,” Popyrin said.
“It’s extra motivation seeing he’s in the top 10 and competing for slams and Masters titles. He’s what we all strive for – his level, his career, it’s unbelievable.
“And he’s got more to give for sure. But I do have the game to be able to play at that level too.”
And what a stage to prove it.
Popyrin has been allocated his first Centre Court outing, a privilege he and coach Neville Godwin, who’ve played a dozen Wimbledons between them, have never before enjoyed.
Playing Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open in January felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 24-year-old Popyrin — but he left frustrated after having set points to go 2-1 up only to eventually lose in four sets.
Yet now another dream opportunity has arisen, the chance to play the great man on Centre, and he’s determined to make this visit count, especially with more than a few question marks hanging over Djokovic’s sharpness after his recent meniscus operation.
While still assuming “Djokovic will be a different beast at Wimbledon” and not wanting to make any wild predictions, the world No.47 declared: “I know I can do it”.
“In Australia, I gave a really good account of myself. I genuinely believe I would have won that match if I had won that second set, I was in the driving seat,” he said.
“I felt super, super comfortable out there. And I enjoyed every moment.
“He’s a super-solid player. But I do feel he gives you chances every now and then.
“Not many, but when he does, you have to take it. Because if you don’t, he’ll make you pay.”
Asked if not winning had gnawed away at him, Popyrin shrugged.
“Definitely. I came off court quite frustrated with myself that I didn’t get those break points,” he said.
He certainly won’t be overawed by the occasion any more, having played Djokovic on Laver and Rafa Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open.
“If you’d asked me two, three years ago, I’d probably have said I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at night thinking of the match,” Popyrin said.
“But now I’m going out there like it’s just another match against just another player. And I feel like I have the level to be able to cause problems.”
Djokovic agreed.
“We had a very good match in Australia. He improved his backhand a lot and his movement, that was maybe not as good in the past,” the Serbian superstar said.
“He’s becoming a complete player. He’s not afraid to finish the point at the net.
“If he serves well, it’s very tough to play. Anybody on the grass that serves as good as he does.
“I guess one of the keys will be how good I’ll be at reading his serves and getting it back in play, make him work for his points. I’m expecting a tough challenge.”
– with 7NEWS