Popyrin pushes German all the way in three-set thriller
The Australian, seeded 18th, took it right up to his big-serving opponent, claiming the first set in a nail-biting tiebreak before the German fought back to clinch a hard-earned 6-7 (10-8) 6-4 6-3 victory in Toronto on Monday (Tuesday AEST).
Zverev, who claimed the 2017 Canadian Open with a win over tennis royalty Roger Federer, has booked his spot in the semi-finals.
Leading into their quarter-final clash between former champions, world No.3 and Toronto top seed Zverev held a 3-0 head-to-head record against Popyrin, so history was certainly on the German's side.
Both players are physically imposing, tall with blistering serves and crunching groundstrokes, so it was always going to be a tough battle.
Neither player could make any inroads into the other's serve in the first set, with each only having one break-point opportunity.
Zverev scored a mini-break to start the tiebreak, but Popyrin squared things up again, before the agile Australian finally clinched the set 7-6 (10-8), thanks in no small part to a net-cord that left the German no chance.
Cruel way to end a thrilling set 🤯Alexei Popyrin claims this opener 7-6 ✅#NBO25 pic.twitter.com/IDgiH1XRyc
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 5, 2025
After a first set that featured no breaks of serve, Zverev secured the first break of the match when he broke the Aussie early for a 2-0 lead in the second.
However, Popyrin broke back in the seventh game to square things up again, before the German broke once more in the 10th game to take the set 6-4.
Zverev made a flying start to the deciding set, breaking Popyrin in the second game, before securing a second break to clinch the decider and advance to the semi-finals.
He will face the winner of the clash between Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov and American Alex Michelsen, the No.26 seed.
Despite Popyrin's loss, Australian interest remains strong at the tournament, with the red-hot Alex de Minaur, fresh off a title win at the Washington Open, to play his quarter-final against fourth-seeded American Ben Shelton.
Their clash on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) will be the first meeting between the pair.
While he might leave Toronto disappointed, Popyrin has hit form at the right time and will be looking to improve on last year's showing at the year's final major, the US Open.
Popyrin reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in New York in 2024, hot on the heels of his Canadian Open victory.
With his huge serve and booming groundstrokes, Popyrin is a constant danger on hard courts, and his rivals will be keen to avoid playing him at the US Open.
Popyrin's impressive run in Toronto included wins over world No.5 Holger Rune, as well as former world No.1 and 2021 US Open and Canadian Open champ Daniil Medvedev.
Zverev, blessed with all the physical attributes needed to be a top-flight tennis player, has been as high as No.2 in the world rankings, but has admitted his state of mind has often let him down in the past.
The German, a three-time grand slam runner-up, lost the 2020 US Open final to Austria's Dominic Thiem, despite racing to a two-set lead in the decider.
Zverev also lost the 2024 French Open decider in five sets to Carlos Alcaraz, as well as this year's Australian Open final against world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
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