Popyrin pushed to limit to make Canada quarter-finals
For the second match in a row in Toronto, 18th-seeded Popyrin had to claw his way back after losing the first set, beating the talented Dane 4-6 6-2 6-3 on Saturday (local time).
It was just the second career meeting between the pair and squared the ledger at one apiece, Rune having won their only previous encounter in a tough three-setter on clay at the 2023 Rome Masters.
BIG hitting from Alexei Popyrin ☄️@NBOtoronto | #NBO25 pic.twitter.com/WjzYueeZ33
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 2, 2025
Popyrin, the defending champion in Canada, is looking to continue his impressive run at this tournament, his victory over Rune his ninth consecutive win at the event.
The Australian also recovered from the loss of the first set of his third-round match to score a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win over former world No.1 and 2021 US Open and Canadian Open champ Daniil Medvedev of Russia.
Popyrin has his sights set on back-to-back Canadian Open titles after thrashing Russia's Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 in last year's final.
In the quarter-finals, Popyrin faces top-seeded Alexander Zverev, who advanced after the No.14 seed Francisco Cerundolo, of Argentina, was forced to retire with an abdominal injury with the German leading 6-4 1-0.
Zverev, the 2017 Canadian Open champion who is ranked third in the world, ended up the top seed in Toronto after the world's top top-ranked players Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz skipped the event.
Another Australian, ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur, plays his round-of-16 clash against American Frances Tiafoe on Sunday (Monday AEST).
De Minaur came to Canada in impeccable form, having won last week's Washington Open, his 10th career title.
The fleet-footed Aussie will be hoping to continue his dazzling recent form at the year's final major, the US Open, which starts in New York on August 24.
De Minaur has twice reached the quarter-finals at the hard-court event at Flushing Meadows, firstly in 2021, then repeating that effort last year.
In other results on Saturday, Alex Michelsen reached the quarter-finals after toppling fellow American Learner Tien 6-3 6-3.
Michelsen next faces 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov, a 6-4 7-5 winner over eighth-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud.
- with AP
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