Blake Ellis and Alexei Popyrin make history-making run into Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Paris, France, 8 June 2017 | tennis.com.au
The two promising talents have advanced to the quarterfinals, the first time two Australian boys have reached that stage in Paris in more than a decade.
Ellis eliminated Hungarian fourth seed Zsombor Piros, the Australian Open 2017 champion, 3-6 6-1 6-2 in the third round. The 18-year-old from Brisbane now faces Spanish No.11 seed Nicola Kuhn in the quarterfinals, played tonight (from 7pm AEST).
Third-seeded Popyrin, a 17-year-old from Sydney, overcome French hope Matteo Martineau 6-4 4-6 6-2. He next plays unseeded American Gianni Ross, also tonight.
Neither Ellis or Popyrin, who are Australian Junior Davis Cup team-mates, have ever advanced this far in a Grand Slam junior singles event.
Both now have the opportunity to create even more history. The last Australian to reach a French Open junior boys’ singles semifinal was James Duckworth in 2010, while Phil Dent was the last Australian to win the title in 1968.