Alexander Zverev staged a strong comeback to defeat defending champion Alexei Popyrin 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 at the Canadian Open in Toronto on Monday, securing his place in the semi-finals.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that after narrowly losing a tightly contested first set where he failed to convert two set points, Zverev regrouped and took control of the match by building 3-0 leads in both the second and third sets. The German star sealed the victory in two hours and 42 minutes.
This win extended Zverev’s unbeaten head-to-head record against Australian Popyrin to 4-0 and marked his 75th ATP Tour semi-final, joining Novak Djokovic as the only active men’s player to achieve this milestone.
Reflecting on the match, Zverev said, “Even though I lost the first set, I thought we were both playing quite well. I had to adjust my return position against his powerful serve, which made a big difference in the second and third sets.”
Zverev will next face Russian Karen Khachanov, who advanced by defeating Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-6(3). The semi-final promises an intense showdown as both players seek to progress further in the tournament.
Idman.biz
