Aussie Alexei Popyrin at centre of sportsmanship storm after Alexander Bublik refuses handshake

Australian Alexei Popyrin has found himself at the centre of a sportsmanship storm after being beaten in the first round of the Paris Masters.

World No.16 Alexander Bublik wrapped up a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win and promptly made a beeline for the chair umpire, refusing to even look at Popyrin let alone shake his hand.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Alexei Popyrin cops handshake snub in defeat.

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The vision left fans questioning just what went down between the pair, who also had words in a frosty handshake at the Madrid Open in April.

Bublik wasted little time offering his side of the story in Paris.

The 28-year-old said he refused to shake Popyrin’s hand because he disappointed the Aussie had celebrated rather than apologised for two net cords — including one on a break point.

“I think any reasonable person would have done the same if I had ever done the same,” he told Russian outlet Championat.

“There’s a code, there’s some kind of etiquette. If someone doesn’t follow it, why should I?”

While Bublik will move on to a second-round clash with American Reilly Opelka or France’s Corentin Moutet, Popyrin has been left to rue his fourth straight defeat.

Popyrin briefly reached a career-high 19th in the world rankings in August but is set to fall outside the world’s top 50 after Paris.

The slump began when his ranking fell just before the US Open and, as an unseeded player, copped world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the second round.

Popyrin is now at risk of suffering a similar fate at January’s Australian Open with the calendar offering little hope of firing back into the top 32 before the rankings are set.

Elsewhere among Australians at the Paris Masters, Aleksandar Vukic kept up his qualifying form to reach the second round.

Vukic dismissed French wildcard Terence Atmane 6-4 2-6 6-4 to book a clash with American fourth seed Taylor Fritz.

Alex de Minaur, gifted a first-round bye as the sixth seed, will begin his tournament in the against 25th seed Tallon Griekspoor or Gabriel Diallo in the second round.

He faces a tricky third-round clash against 10th seed Karen Khachanov, Canadian Denis Shapovalov or rising star Joao Fonseca.