Popyrin stops runes, keeps champion defense hopes to survive in Toronto – now tennis
Alexei Popyrin north of the U.S. border? It’s a good thing for the 25-year-old Australian who assembled at Toronto’s Holger Rune on Saturday night to extend his Canadian streak to nine wins, 4-6 6-2 6-3.
After the game, he signed the camera “I Love Canada X 2”.
The Montreal title reached his second Masters quarterfinal in 2025, and he beat the 22-year-old No. 9 in the world with an inspired effort.
“I just feel comfortable in these courts and I think the surface is a little faster,” Popyrin said. “I don’t know if that makes sense, but it gives me more time on the court because I’ve hit my first aggressive shot and I can decide from there.”
Popyrin hit 30 winners in 24 unmandatory errors; Runes hit 24 winners and 39 unmandated.
Popyrin, who ranked 26th in Toronto and was seed at the age of 18, has now won the top 5 players in a row.
Australia scored 11 points in the opening break with a score of 11-11, but converted three breakout points into his life with the runes in the final two sets.
“I was angry after the first set,” Popring said. “But when I came back again, it felt like I was in control of the game. I told myself to stay aggressive at the next breakpoint I got and since then, I’ve been very comfortable.”
Popyrin ranked first in the world in the third round, Daniil Medvedev, the first hard court quarterfinal since winning last year in Montreal, defeating Andrey Rublev in the final.
In the past eight, he will face top-seeded Alexander Zverev or Francisco Cerundolo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ngyxjjjtqi
Poplin saved a pair of rest points 3-1 in the third game after breaking in the last game. He didn’t look back from there, winning 12 points in the last 15 points, breaking the runes again in the final game.
