New Delhi, May 20 -- Alexei Popyrin spoiled Taylor Fritz's long-awaited return to the ATP Tour by defeating the American top seed 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 16 of the Gonet Geneva Open on Wednesday.

Fritz was making his first appearance since suffering a fourth-round loss to Jiri Lehecka at the Miami Open back in March. The world No. 4 looked rusty during the 84-minute clash on the Swiss clay courts, struggling to find his rhythm against the in-form Australian.

Popyrin, ranked 61st, delivered a strong performance packed with aggressive baseline play. Notably, he fired 25 winners and stayed solid in the long rallies, breaking Fritz at key moments to secure the straight-sets victory and advance to the quarter-finals.

Alexei Popyrin has bee...