And now, 11 years later, the 19-year-old next big thing of Australian tennis might be on the brink of realising them.

Popyrin will clash with world No.31 Lucas Pouille on Saturday night after sealing a passage into the third round of the Australian Open by dispatching ailing eighth seed Dominic Thiem.

In the third round back in 2008, an eight-year-old Popyrin was kept captivated - well past his bedtime - by one of the tournament's most enduring matches.

"When I was a kid I came to the Australian Open and I watched Hewitt-Baghdatis," he told AAP on Friday.

"It finished at 4am in the morning and we left during the fourth set but I kept watching it on the TV. That was a great memory."

The Sydneysider now counts Hewitt as a mentor as he rises through the ranks.

Before his trip to Melbourne, Popyrin said he embraced tennis at three, when his mother noticed his talents with a racquet and packed him off to a "Pee Wee camp somewhere in Sydney".

The family moved to the United Arab Emirates when Popyrin was a child, moving for his father's online business.

As Popyrin's talent began to shine, they switched to Spain and France, where he now calls home, to give him the best chance at success.

Popyrin said moving to Nice, near the world-famous Mouratoglou academy of Serena Williams' coach, was the making of him.

"I went there three years ago. Just before I won the French juniors," he said.

"The results have shown since then. It's done wonders for my career and for my game."

On Friday morning, just hours after his win over Thiem, Popyrin was able to wander through Melbourne Park without being recognised.

You get the feeling this could be the last tournament the unassuming teenager will be able to do that.

His groundbreaking win over Thiem will see his ranking dive to around 123rd in the world.

Another win would mean a drop to the brink of the top 100 and a possible date with Croatian 11th seed Borna Coric for a shot a most unlikely quarter-final.

Much will depend on his serve.

He was one of just two men left in the draw not to have their serve broken, along with seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev.

"We worked a lot on that during pre-season," Popyrin said. "We changed the grip. We worked on the consistency.

"I reckon if I stick to my game plan, stick to my game and keep emotionally sound, I have a good chance of winning."

Australian Associated Press