TORONTO – Top-seeded Alexander Zverev met on Monday to beat Australia’s 6-7 (8), 6-4 and 6-3 No. 18 Alexei Popilin on Monday to reach the semi-finals of the National Bank Open.
Zverev, the 2017 tournament champion, faces Russia’s No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov or US No. 26 Alex Michelsen.
Ranked third, German Zverev has made it to the 75th ATP Tour semi-finals. He is looking for his 25th tournament title and is looking for an eighth ATP 1000 Masters Tournament.
The other quarterfinals are on Tuesday. Second-seeded Taylor Fritz will face Russia’s No. 6 Andreil Brev, while fourth-placed Ben Shelton will meet Australia’s No. 9 Alex Deminaurus. Both semi-finals will take place on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s title match.
Popilin took the first set after a long rally grazes the top of the net and falls for a victory point.
Zverev responded by firing the ball straight away from the Sobeys Stadium with Frustration, but quickly reorganised to get 2-0 in the second set.
Popilin grabbed his own break before holding the serve at 4-4. Zverev, who won the Canadian title in Montreal when he defeated childhood idol Roger Federer eight years ago, took a 5-4 lead and again smashed his opponent.
Zverev, who was expelled in the quarterfinal stage of last year’s tournament, got another break to rise 2-0 in three sets before playing the match.
The 28-year-old, who lost to top-ranked Giannik Sinner in the final at the Australian Open this year and created the French open quarter, has improved 4-0 against Popilin, including a third round victory at the Parisian Games.
Zverev won two tournaments with Clay this year, and sinner, no. Carlos Alcaraz from 2, Jack Draper from 5, No. 1. Novak Djokovic of 6 is the highest ranked player to compete on the field in Toronto after skipping all hard court events.
Ranked 26th, Popilin, 25, won nine consecutive games in Canada.
