Wawrinka downs top seed Popyrin in Aix-en-Provence, Auger-Aliassime upset in Estoril

Stan Wawrinka earned his best win by PIF ATP Ranking this season on Thursday at the Open Aix Provence Crédit Agricole, an ATP Challenger 175 event in France. 

The Swiss may be 40 years old, but he turned back the clock to oust top seed and World No. 26 Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

"Tough match, never easy to play against Alexei, last two matches he beat me, so it was a big challenge today," said Wawrinka, who is competing as a wild card in Aix-en-Provence. "I'm happy to get through in three sets. Fast conditions, today it was important to be aggressive, try and push him back a bit and I'm super happy I did it."

Crowd control: ELITE 👏@stanwawrinka 🫶 Aix-en-Provence#ATPChallenger | @OpenduPaysdAix pic.twitter.com/dNePwXCZgf

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 1, 2025

It will next be experience against youth on Friday, when Wawrinka faces Nishesh Basavareddy on the American's 20th birthday. Basavareddy advanced past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 7-5, which marked the #NextGenATP star's second win on clay at Challenger level or above, both of which have come this week.

Earlier, Borna Coric defeated sixth seed Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(3), 6-4 and Mariano Navone raced past third seed Quentin Halys 6-2, 6-4. Coric is one of two players to have won three Challenger titles this season, alongside Emilio Nava. Reilly Opelka was a 7-6(3), 7-6(3) winner against Corentin Moutet.

Auger-Aliassime falls in Estoril
Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was upset in his opening match at the Millennium Estoril Open. Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino stunned the No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings 7-5, 6-4 for his biggest career win.

Pellegrino, No. 237 in the PIF ATP Rankings, matched the Canadian's heavy hitting with his own firepower and remained the more consistent to reach the last eight. Auger-Aliassime now holds a 17-11 season record across all levels. On a five-match skid, the 24-year-old began the year with triumphs in Adelaide and Montpellier. He also reached the Dubai ATP 500 final.

The 28-year-old Pellegrino will next face seventh seed Nicolas Jarry, who saved a match point to escape home hope Gastao Elias 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Just one day removed from spoiling Henrique Rocha's home outing in Portugal, the Chilean matched that feat with a hard-fought victory against the 34-year-old Elias. Jarry tallied five consecutive games from 2-5 in the decider, fending off a match point on serve that game and using that momentum to soar towards the finish line. 

Second seed Alex Michelsen is into the quarter-finals after his 6-4, 7-6(3) victory against Italian Giovanni Fonio. Michelsen recovered a break deficit in the second set and saved a set point at 5-6 en route to the one-hour, 41-minute win. The American will next meet another Italian in Luca Nardi, who breezed past Alexey Vatutin 6-3, 6-2.

Portugal's own Nuno Borges treated the fans to a thrilling three-set win to close the day. The third seed survived Marton Fucsovics 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 6-4 after three hours and 15 minutes.

^{Alex Michelsen greets fans at the Estoril Challenger. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Challenger Tour}