Alexei Popyrin has now won seven of his last nine matches against Top 10 players
The Australian defeated No. 9-ranked Holger Rune to reach the quarterfinals in Toronto on Saturday night.
Alexei Popyrin continued to show why he's one of the biggest giant-killers on the tour in Toronto on Saturday night, taking out Holger Rune, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the fourth round of the Masters 1000 event.
The Australian has now won seven of his last nine matches against Top 10 players, a stretch that began in Canada a year ago, where—in Montreal—he made a surprise run to his first Masters 1000 title.
POPYRIN VS TOP 10 PLAYERS SINCE CANADA LAST YEAR: 7-2
- d. No. 10 Dimitrov in '24 Canada 3rd Rd, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
- d. No. 6 Hurkacz in '24 Canada QFs, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5
- d. No. 8 Rublev in '24 Canada F, 6-2, 6-4
- d. No. 2 Djokovic in '24 US Open 3rd Rd, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
- l. to No. 10 Dimitrov in '24 Shanghai 3rd Rd, 7-6, 6-2
- d. No. 5 Medvedev in '24 Paris 2nd Rd, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6
- d. No. 7 Ruud in '25 Monte Carlo 3rd Rd, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
- l. to No. 6 Draper in '25 Queen's Club 2nd Rd, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6
- d. No. 9 Rune in '25 Canada 4th Rd, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
That stretch was a few points away from being eight of his last nine, as he actually led Draper by 4-2 in the third set tie-break at Queen's Club this year before the Brit snuck out a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory.
He's now 13-16 overall in his career against the elite.
Rune had beaten Popyrin in the pair's only previous meeting and things looked headed the same way on Saturday as the Dane broke midway through the first set en route to taking a one-set lead.
But Popyrin never dropped serve again and broke Rune three times—twice in the second set and once more in the third—en route to victory after two hours and three minutes on Centre Court.
He sealed the deal with a picture-perfect lob winner.
"It was great that I stuck in in that second set," he said afterwards. "I feel like I was in control the whole match, and I knew that all I needed was that first break, and from there I felt comfortable."
The Australian is now 9-0 in main draw matches at this event, going 6-0 en route to the title in Montreal last year and now 3-0 this year.
"Since I was a junior I play well here," he added. "I remember I played an under-18 tournament here and made my first ITF quarterfinal. I just like playing in Canada for some reason—in front of a great crowd it's unbelievable, here or in Montreal, doesn't matter where."
Up next for the No. 18 seed and defending champion in the quarterfinals will be either No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev or No. 14 seed Francisco Cerundolo, who played the late night match.