TORONTO – Top-seeded German Alexander Zverev advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open after fourteenth-seeded Argentine Francisco Cerundolo retired due to an abdominal injury.
Zverev was leading the match with a score of 6-4 and 1-0 when Cerundolo was forced to retire from the match.
In the next phase, Zverev will face the defending champion, the Australian Alexei Popyrin.
Popyrin, who is the number 18 seed, secured his place in the quarterfinals after defeating Dane Holger Rune, fifth seed, with a score of 4-6, 6-2 and 6-3.
Zverev, champion in 2017 and currently ranked third in the world, became the top seed due to the absences of Jannik Sinner, winner in 2023, and Carlos Alcaraz, number two in the world, in this hard-court tournament, which concludes on Thursday.
Also, Jack Draper, fifth seed, and Novak Djokovic, sixth seed, were also absent from the event.
Zverev won his 24th title on the tour by winning in Munich in April, on a clay court.
In other results of the day, Alex Michelsen secured his place in the quarterfinals after defeating his American compatriot Learner Tien with a score of 6-3 and 6-3.
Michelsen will face Karen Khachanov, eleventh seed from Russia, who defeated Casper Ruud, eighth seed from Norway, with a score of 6-4 and 7-5.
