ATP Tour

Popyrin rallies to upset Rune as Canadian title defense remains alive

Defending champion Alexei Popyrin claimed his second consecutive win over a former Top 5 player when he rallied from a set down to defeat fifth seed Holger Rune 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto Saturday night.

Popyrin went 0/11 on break point opportunities in the first set before dropping his brand of ‘Big Man Tennis’ on the Dane, converting both break points in the second set and his first of the third as he powered to the finish line behind 14 aces and 13 forehand winners.

“I started this week not high on confidence, needing to get a grasp of the mental side,” Popyrin said of defending his title and 1000 points. “But this week I kind of just let go of all the pressure.

“After the first set I was pissed [about not breaking]. But when I came back out to return again, it felt like I was in control of the match. I told myself to be aggressive on the next break point that I got, and from then on I felt quite comfortable."

The 25-year-old Australian produced a perfect blend of Serve + 1 power and consistency, making just two unforced errors from the baseline in the second set, as he extended his winning streak to nine matches in Canada. He will next play top seed Alexander Zverev.

Popyrin, who ousted former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the third round, advanced to his first hard-court quarter-final at any level since his stunning run to the title 12 months ago in Montreal.

“I feel comfortable on these courts, where I hit my first aggressive shot and then can dictate from there… My forehand was the standout today,” Popyrin said.

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Popyrin, who recently told ATPTour.com that he wanted to find consistency in his results by staying in baseline rallies longer by using his mobility, hit 30 winners to 24 unforced errors, while Rune hit 24 winners and 39 unforced errors, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Popyrin is No. 26 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but faced the prospect of tumbling outside the Top 50 without a deep run in Toronto as he defends the 1000 points he won last year in Montreal.