Alexei Popyrin stuns No.5 seed Holger Rune in three sets to notch a ninth straight Canadian Masters win and keep his title defence alive.
Toronto, Canada , 3 August 2025 | Vivienne Christie
Alexei Popyrin has kept his Canadian ATP Masters 1000 title defence on track in spectacular fashion, backing up his upset of Daniil Medvedev with another come-from-behind win – this time over No.5 seed Holger Rune – to reach the quarterfinals.
Popyrin rallied for a 4-6 6-2 6-1 victory over the higher-ranked Dane, marking his ninth consecutive match win at the prestigious event.
In 2024, Popyrin stormed to a breakthrough Masters title at the Canadian Open, defeating five seeds and three top-10 players – including Andrey Rublev in the final.
The tournament, which alternates each year between Montreal and Toronto, is clearly a happy hunting ground for the Australian, who entered this year’s draw ranked world No.26.
READ: Why Alexei Popyrin isn’t looking for ‘trade-off tennis’
“I’ve still got 1000 points to defend here,” Popyrin told Tennis TV earlier this week when asked about returning as defending champion in a different city.
“I’m feeling quite good here, so let’s hope I can keep it going.”
He did exactly that against Rune, despite missing 11 break point opportunities in a tense 54-minute opening set.
In an impressive turnaround, Popyrin broke serve in both the fourth and final games of the second set, then repeated a similar pattern in the decider.
Across two hours, the Australian finished with 12 winners – including six aces – against 13 unforced errors, while Rune fired 11 winners but proved more erratic.
MORE: Popyrin to defend Canadian crown in Toronto
It marks Popyrin’s third ATP quarterfinal of 2025, following strong showings on clay in Monte Carlo and Geneva.
He next faces either top seed Alexander Zverev, who advanced when No.14 Francisco Cerundolo retired in their fourth-round match.
“I feel comfortable on these courts, where I hit my first aggressive shot and then can dictate from there,” Popyrin said. “My forehand was the standout today.”
Countryman Alex de Minaur also remains in contention in Canada, advancing to the fourth round after Chris O’Connell withdrew from their all-Australian clash with an abdominal injury.
De Minaur, the No.9 seed, will now meet seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe as he targets back-to-back ATP titles, following his triumph in Washington last week.
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