Canadian Open 2025: Top seed Zverev, defending champion Popyrin book quarterfinal spots

Toronto: Top-seeded Alexander Zverev set up a Canadian Open 2025 quarterfinal against defending champion Alexei Popyrin after his fourth-round opponent, Francisco Cerundolo, was forced to retire with an abdominal injury on Saturday.

Germany’s Zverev secured a 6-4, 1-0 victory, with Argentina’s Cerundolo taking a medical timeout after the fifth game and finally calling a halt after less than an hour on court.

Australia’s Popyrin won his ninth straight match in Canada, beating ninth seed Holger Rune 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The 26th-ranked Aussie profitted from nearly 40 unforced errors from his Danish opponent, who has been taking occasional advice from Andre Agassi.

With Popyrin on the horizon, Zverev said he was headed back to the practice court after his abbreviated victory, but he paid tribute to Cerundolo first.

“He’s an incredible player, we have a close personal relationship. I know about abdominal injuries,” Zverev said of Cerundolo.

“You can’t serve or accelerate on the forehand. He had tears in his eyes when he had to quit. He didn’t want to disappoint the crowd. But they can last from a few days to a few months. I have respect for him - he beat me three times before tonight,” he added.

Zverev, the 2017 champion, will be playing his fifth quarterfinal in seven Canadian appearance.

Earlier, Popyrin saved a break point with his sixth ace against Rune as he served for victory in the final game, finishing the job with a lob winner which left Rune flat-footed.

Karen Khachanov reached his second straight prestige quarterfinal, ambushing eighth seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-5 to continue his ATP hot streak.

Khachanov next faces Alex Michelsen, who claimed his first Masters last-eight place with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fellow American and good friend Learner Tien. Agencies

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