Alexei Popyrin's US Open adventure has ended with both regret and satisfaction after bowing out to 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 in the fourth round.
This was the Sydneysider's first-ever appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam, still coming to grips with his sensational takedown of former world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
Three weeks ago, Popyrin won the biggest tournament by an Australian male since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 to claim the Montreal Masters 1000 crown, before becoming the first Aussie since Hewitt in 2006 to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam.
A career-high ranking and a top-32 seed for the first time at a major means the 25-year-old is focused on the positives.
"Look, I'm telling everybody now, if you would have told me at the start of the summer I would have been 23 in the world with a Masters title and second week of a slam for the first time, I probably would have taken it considering the position I was in," Popyrin said.
"If I hadn't won a match in Montreal or Cincy, I probably would have dropped to outside 90 in the world.
"So considering all that, I think it was a very successful summer.
"It definitely does feel like a little opportunity lost. This match, it was changed by I think one, two, or three points.
"He won three more points than I did all match, and he won three sets. That just shows you how close it was."
The loss presents a classic case of what could have been for Popyrin, failing to convert three consecutive set points in the second set up 40-0 on his racquet, before inexplicably dropping five straight points.
"It's a really big choke from my end," the Paris Olympian confessed.
Tiafoe shed light on what was racing through his mind during the encounter, admitting he "got very lucky" as the match could have swung either way.
“He was serving 5-3, 40-0, I’m sweating through my shoes thinking I’m about to go change my clothes," Tiafoe said. "And I’m just thinking, what if I get this next [point], and I did. Then I thought, what about this next one, and I did. And then I won that one.”
Australia are now left with two representatives in the men's singles draw, as good friends Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson will meet tomorrow morning (7am AEST) on Louis Armstrong Stadium for a spot in the quarter-finals.
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