Zverev fights back to oust defending champion Popyrin from Canadian Open

TORONTO: Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to beat defending champion Alexei Popyrin 6-7(8/10), 6-4, 6-3 in Toronto and move into the semi-finals of the Cana­dian Open on Monday.

Top seed Zverev was unable to convert two set points in a tight first set, but built up 3-0 leads in both the second and third sets to clinch the win.

However, the final game, with Zverev serving at 5-3, was interrupted by shouts from an unruly fan who was tossed out by security.

The distraction ended a run of 14 consecutive points on serve, with the seed double-faulting once he was able to continue serving.

He finished off the evening with a sharp volley winner at the net on his first match point.

Zverev completed his 40th win of the year in just over two and a half hours.

The victory took the German’s head-to-head record against Australian Popyrin to 4-0 and sent him to his 75th semi-final on the ATP Tour, joining Novak Djokovic as the only active men’s tennis player to have reached the mark.

“I had to tell myself, even though I lost the first set, I thought we were both playing actually quite well,” said Zverev, who won the Canadian Open in 2017.

“I had to find a return position in the beginning because he’s a very big server, and when he gets into a rhythm, it’s very difficult against him.

MONTREAL: Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro hits a forehand against Victoria Mboko of Canada during their Montreal Open quarter-final at the IGA Stadium.—AFP

“I did that in the second and third set. Honestly, I can’t complain about much. I played one loose game on my serve in the second set, but apart from that, it was pretty good.”

Zverev will bid for the oddly scheduled Thursday final against three-time semi-finalist Karen Khachanov, who dismissed young American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-6(7/3).

“It was a very close, competitive match,” Khachanov said. “I had to come back from some tough situations.

“How you handle that mentally is important. I was glad to close it out in the second set.

“I had to try and not give him the opportunity to step in and attack; that’s what I did today.”

MBOKO’S RUN CONTINUES

At Montreal, Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko stormed into the semi-finals of the women’s tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to continue her fairytale run.

The 18-year-old, ranked 85th in the world, found herself a break down early in the second set, but won six straight games to become the first Canadian to reach the semi-finals of the Canadian Open since 2019.

“I’m so excited to be in the semi-final here. I want to thank everyone for your support once again. It has been unreal,” said Mboko, who beat No. 1 seed Coco Gauff on Saturday.

World number 85 Mboko, who began the year raked 333rd in the world, has ensured herself a jump into the top 50 for the first time in her career next week.

Mboko broke 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro for a 5-3 lead. The Spaniard broke back in the ninth game only to drop the first set after 43 minutes when Mboko broke again.

Bouzas Maneiro broke to open the second set then held but Mboko never dropped a game from there, taking the match after 77 minutes when the Spaniard sent a backhand beyond the baseline.

The crowd, which chanted “it’s not over” in French after the match, has been the best part of the amazing run, Mboko said.

“I train here (in Canada) and it’s always a great opportunity to be here,” Mboko said. “My first time playing in Montreal has been an unreal experience and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Mboko next takes on Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, who was leading 6-1, 2-1 when her opponent, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, was forced to retire from their quarter-final match due to a wrist injury.

Rybakina broke 24th-seeded Kostyuk to open the match and led 2-1 when Kostyuk received medical treatment on her right wrist and forearm.

Kostyuk netted a backhand to surrender a break in the fifth game and Rybakina broke again to claim the first set in 37 minutes when Kostyuk sent a forehand long.

In the second set, Rybakina held twice before Kostyuk retired after 54 minutes due to her wrist issues, walking off the court in tears.

Rybakina will meet Mboko for the second time in as many weeks, with the ninth-seeded Kazakh winning 6-3, 7-5 when the pair faced off in the Washington Open last month.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2025

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