Zverev advances to the semifinals at the National Bank Open after defeating Popyrin
The tennis player Alexander Zverev, seeded number one, achieved an epic victory against Alexei Popyrin in the National Bank Open tournament, securing his place in the semifinals. The final score was 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3, after a match full of emotions.
Zverev, who was already the tournament champion in 2017, will face Karen Khachanov, the number 11 seed, in the next round, who previously defeated Alex Michelsen.
The German tennis player, currently ranked number 3 in the world, adds his 75th semifinal in the ATP circuit. Zverev is looking for his 25th title and the eighth in a Masters 1000 tournament.
The remaining quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, with Taylor Fritz facing Andrey Rublev, and Ben Shelton against Alex De Minaur. The semifinals will be held on Wednesday, before the final scheduled for Thursday.
Popyrin won the first set thanks to a backhand volley that grazed the net, unleashing the joy of his fans.
After losing the first set, Zverev reacted with determination, showing his frustration by sending a ball out of the court, but quickly recovered to take a 2-0 lead in the second set.
Popyrin managed a break, but Zverev responded by holding his serve and taking the lead 5-4, then broke his opponent and tied the match.
In the third set, Zverev managed an early break to go up 2-0 and ultimately secure the victory.
Zverev, who lost in the final of this year’s Australian Open and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, improves his record to 4-0 against Popyrin, including a victory at the Paris Olympics.
Zverev, with two clay court victories this year, is the highest-ranked player in Toronto, a tournament that does not feature the presence of some important players.
Popyrin, 25 years old and ranked number 26, saw his streak of nine consecutive victories in Canada interrupted.
