On Monday evening, against all odds, 25-year-old Alexei Popyrin of Australia won the National Bank Open presented by Rogers at IGA Stadium in Montréal, toppling no.5 seed Andrey Rublev (6-2, 6-4) in 89 minutes.
With his first Masters 1000 title, the current No.62 will move up in the rankings to No.23.
Not only was his play practically perfect, Popyrin made the most of the opportunities he got from Rublev, who was way out of his comfort zone.
READ: Granollers and Zeballos reign supreme in doubles
Rublev got things started by dropping the first seven points and giving Popyrin a 2-0 lead. What happened to Rublev? It was one of two things: he was half asleep or the stakes were too high. It’s happened before. He’s disappeared from four Slam quarterfinals and has never won a Masters 1000 on a hard court.
It’s a crack he’s talked openly about. He’s an ultra-emotional player who hasn’t yet learned to access his best tennis in high-pressure situations.
After giving away two breaks in the first set, Rublev found himself down 1-3 in the second. Then, a sudden burst of energy helped him break back and even things out.
READ: Catching up with acclaimed musician and tennis fan Alexandra Stréliski
Popyrin stays the course
The reversal of fortune didn’t last. He was broken again and had trouble handling his rival’s laser-focused shots. A string of errors then put the match beyond his reach.
The numbers don’t lie. In the end, Popyrin racked up 72 points, 10 aces and 3 double faults versus 54 points, 4 aces and 5 double faults for his opponent.
Alexei Popyrin adds the most prestigious title of his career to the two ATP 250 championships already in his trophy case. For his efforts and the surprise he caused, he’ll pocket US$1,040,460, while Rublev will have to make do with US$573,090.
Featured photo by: Pascal Ratthé
Featured in this news
Related news
