World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany secured a spot in the semifinals of the Toronto Masters (ATP 1000) after a hard-fought victory over defending champion Alexei Popyrin of Australia on Tuesday.
Zverev, 28, triumphed in three sets—6-7, 6-4, 6-3—claiming his 40th win of the season. This marks his 21st career appearance in a Masters 1000 semifinal and strengthens his bid for a second Canadian Open title, having first won the tournament in 2017.
The match was closely contested, with Zverev dropping the first set in a 71-minute tiebreak. However, he rebounded strongly to dominate the next two sets, sealing the win in two and a half hours.
In the semifinals, Zverev will face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who advanced with a straight-sets win over American Alex Michelsen.
Zverev holds a 5-2 head-to-head advantage over Khachanov.
The Canadian Open serves as a key warm-up for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season.