ALEXANDER Zverev secured his place in the ATP Toronto Masters semi-finals with a gritty 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-3 victory over defending champion Alexei Popyrin. The match, lasting over two and a half hours, saw Zverev recover from a first-set loss to dominate the latter stages.
The final game was briefly disrupted by a disruptive fan, leading to a rare double-fault from Zverev before he sealed the win with a sharp volley. “After losing the first set, I had to remind myself to stay patient,“ said Zverev. “I knew if I kept playing well, the chances would come.”
Zverev, now with 40 wins this season, will face Karen Khachanov in the semi-finals. Khachanov defeated American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in a tightly contested match. “It was a mental battle,“ Khachanov admitted. “Closing it out in straight sets was crucial.”
The head-to-head record favours Zverev, who has won five of their seven previous encounters. Meanwhile, Popyrin remains winless against the German after four meetings. - AFP