Canadian Open 2025: Top-seeded Zverev beats defending champion Popyrin to reach semifinals
Zverev, the 2017 tournament champion, will face either No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia or No. 26 Alex Michelsen of the U.S.
Zverev, a German who is ranked No. 3, advanced to his 75th ATP Tour semifinal. He is looking for his 25th tournament title and eighth in an ATP 1000 Masters tournament.
The other quarterfinals are on Tuesday. Second-seeded Taylor Fritz will take on No. 6 Andrey Rublev of Russia, while No. 4 Ben Shelton is slated to meet No. 9 Alex de Minaur of Australia. Both semifinals go on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's title match.
Popyrin took the first set when his gentle backhand volley after a long rally grazed the top of the net and dropped for the winning point — much to the delight of his fans, including one with an inflatable yellow kangaroo.
Zverev responded by immediately firing a ball completely out of Sobeys Stadium in frustration, but quickly regrouped to go up 2-0 in the second set.
ALSO READ | Novak Djokovic withdraws from Cincinnati Open, heads to US Open without preparation
Popyrin grabbed a break of his own before holding serve at 4-4. Zverev, who won the Canadian title in Montreal eight years ago when he defeated childhood idol Roger Federer, took a 5-4 lead and then again broke his opponent to even the match.
Ousted at the quarterfinal stage of last year's tournament, Zverev got another break to go up 2-0 in the third set before serving out the match.
The 28-year-old, who lost to top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the final at this year's Australian Open and made the French Open quarters, improved to 4-0 all-time against Popyrin, including a third-round victory at the Paris Olympics.
Zverev has two tournament wins on clay this year, and is the highest-ranked player competing in a Toronto field lacking some significant star power after Sinner, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic all skipped the hard-court event.
The 25-year-old Popyrin, ranked No. 26, had his nine-match winning streak in Canada snapped.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
18 minutes ago
- NDTV
Ben Shelton Defeats Taylor Fritz In An All-American Semifinal In Toronto
Fourth-seeded Ben Shelton beat second-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American semifinal match Wednesday night in the National Bank Open Open. Shelton will face 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia, a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) winner over top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in the first semifinal in Masters 1000 hard-court event. 'I've seen so many big improvements in my game this week, that's what I'm most happy about, how I'm executing, how little I'm hesitating, how I'm returning,' Shelton said. 'There are a lot of things to be proud about and beating two top-10 guys back-to-back is huge for me.' The 22-year-old Shelton is seeking his third career ATP Tour title. He won in Tokyo on hard courts in 2023 and Houston last year on clay. 'I'm just really excited to see myself executing like this, not wondering if the shot is going to go in or out, but expecting it to go in," Shelton said. The 26-year-old Fritz has 10 career victories, winning this year on grass at Stuttgart and Eastbourne. Khachanov, a seven-time tour winner, survived a match point. 'Today was a real close one,' Khachanov said 'I was match-point down. If the ball touches the net and drops over we wouldn't be talking now.' Zverev, the 2017 champion with 24 tour titles, is No. 3 in the world. 'The first set was terrible,' Zverev said. 'I kind of gave him a headstart and he's too good to not use that.' Zverev was the top seed with top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the 2023 winner — and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz skipping the expanded event.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Toronto Masters: Khachanov Battles Past Zverev To Set Up Shelton Summit Clash
Last Updated: Karen Khachanov registered a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Alexander Zverev, while American Ben Shelton beat compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 to punch his ticket to the final. Karen Khachanov moved into the final of the ATP Toronto Masters following his semifinal triumph over German top seed Alexander Zverev, while Ben Shelton got the better of Taylor Fritz in the other final-four encounter. Khachanov registered a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Zverev, while American Shelton beat compatriot Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to punch his ticket to the final. Russian Khachanov had lost in two previous semi-finals in Canada. However, he persevered to advance, saving a match point to level the deciding set at 6-6, as world number three Zverev hit a backhand into the top tape of the net. The German made 44 unforced errors in the nearly three-hour defeat, while Khachanov recorded 29 winners and 34 unforced errors. 'I had to work hard, dig deep and do my best," Khachanov said. 'It was very demanding physically and mentally." 'We've had many matches, and I'm pleased to beat him after losing some easier ones," added Khachanov, who lost to Zverev in the Tokyo Olympic singles final. 'Today was tough – I was down match point." 'I'm just happy things went my way in the end." Khachanov noted it got tense towards the finish, stating, 'When you reach the final tiebreak, you have to play your best. You can't waste time and energy on negative thoughts, or you won't succeed. You never know what will happen, but you have to try." Khachanov will be playing his first final of the season after semi-final defeats in Barcelona and Halle. Shelton and Fritz had to wait briefly when a problem with the electronic line-calling system arose as they took the court. However, that did not affect 22-year-old Shelton, the world number seven, who had beaten Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals. With the win over Fritz, he secured his first back-to-back victories over top 10 opponents. US Open finalist Fritz had to save four break points in the third game of the match and was broken in the ninth game, allowing Shelton to serve for the set. Shelton seized a second break for a 3-2 lead in the second set, landing a perfect lob over Fritz's head and holding at love for a 5-3 lead. He closed out the match with another break, while Fritz broke his racquet over his knee after double-faulting on match point. 'I'm happy with my level and how I executed," Shelton said. 'I've seen so many big improvements in my game this week. That's what I'm most pleased about, how I'm executing, how little I'm hesitating, and how I'm returning. Beating two top 10 guys back-to-back is huge for me," the American added. 'I felt I had the ball on a string," he added. 'I'm excited to play like this, hitting the ball and expecting it to go in," he concluded. First Published: August 07, 2025, 10:50 IST News sports Toronto Masters: Khachanov Battles Past Zverev To Set Up Shelton Summit Clash Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Cincinnati Open 2025: Refreshed Jannik Sinner ready for title defence
World number one Jannik Sinner said he had taken the right decision by opting for a long break following his Wimbledon triumph, and the recharged Italian is ready to fire at the Cincinnati Open, where he will defend his title. The 23-year-old lost a marathon French Open final to rival Carlos Alcaraz in June before gaining revenge over the Spaniard at the All England Club last month to secure his fourth Grand Slam title overall and second of a difficult season in which he served a short ban for an inadvertent doping offence. Sinner opted to prioritise his health following that victory and will return after a near month-long absence from the circuit when he takes to the court over the weekend in Cincinnati after getting a first-round bye. 'The body and mind need to recover and need to understand what happened,' Sinner told reporters in Ohio on Wednesday as he explained his scheduling. 'I'm very happy I took some time off, seeing my family and friends and very important people I have around. In the past, I made some mistakes sometimes, starting too early at times. I had conversations with the whole team, trying to understand what's best. When you win big titles, they're very special moments, and then you have to leave them,' he added. ALSO READ | Canadian Open 2025: Khachanov beats Zverev to reach final Sinner sported a protective sleeve on his right elbow when he practised with Christopher Eubanks on Wednesday, sparking concerns that he was still feeling the effects of an injury sustained during his title run at Wimbledon. The Italian said, however, that he was only using it as it gave him more stability. 'The elbow is good. Today was the first time that I put the sleeve on because I liked the feeling of the sleeve,' he said. 'The impact with the ball is slightly more stable, and I liked it at Wimbledon. I had to see what it's like when it's very hot and humid because it's a bit different. It's going to be something I take into consideration, but I really love the feeling of pure striking,' he added. The Cincinnati tournament is a tune-up event for the U.S. Open that runs from August 23 to September 7.
