The semifinals line-up of the ATP 1000 National Bank Open promises some top-level action, with three of the four top seeds still in contention. Only one of the quarterfinals went the full distance of three sets, but that doesn’t mean the others lacked competitiveness. Here is the breakdown of the upcoming semifinals with a preview of what we can expect on Tuesday night in Toronto.
Zverev outlasts Popyrin in thriller – Khachanov next
Alexander Zverev ended Alexei Popyrin’s title defense in what was arguably the best match of the quarterfinals. The first set lasted over 70 minutes, with no breaks and a tense tiebreak that saw multiple twists and set points on both sides. Popyrin eventually took it 10-8.
Zverev started the second set strong, going up 3-0 with a break, but Popyrin fought back to 4-4 with trademark resilience. The Aussie was just two games away from eliminating the top seed, but Zverev found his rhythm at the right moment – winning five consecutive games to close the second set and move ahead in the decider. From there, he stayed in control and didn’t allow Popyrin to retake momentum. Final score: 6-7(8) 6-4 6-3.
Karen Khachanov will be his opponent in the semifinals, continuing a strong run after reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. The 11th seed eliminated Alex Michelsen – who was playing his first ATP 1000 quarterfinal – in a scrappy match, clearly less qualitative than Zverev vs Popyrin. Both players committed many unforced errors – 27 from Khachanov and 40 from Michelsen. The American had his chances, including an early lead in the first set and a few missed breakpoints in the second, but Khachanov ultimately advanced with a 6-4 7-6(3) win.
These two have faced each other seven times already, with Zverev winning five of those encounters and entering this one as the favorite. Both present the very similar gamestyle this year on hard courts with the German outperforming his next opponent in all the relevant areas apart from first serve points and tiebreaks won % - the top seed's vulnerability exposed a bit in Toronto this week.
Fritz and Shelton set up all-American showdown
Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton will face off in an exciting all-American semifinal after both players won their quarterfinals in straight sets, delivering impressive serving performances.
Fritz defeated Andrey Rublev 6-3 7-6(4) in a high-quality match, firing 20 aces and hitting 28 winners to just 21 unforced errors. Shelton came through a contrast-of-styles battle with Alex De Minaur, defeating the Aussie 6-3 6-4 while serving 11 aces of his own.
Both Americans have had strong seasons so far. Same as the other semifinals pairing, it's a meeting of similarly playing competitors, but with the slight advantage of Fritz, in most of the areas. He boasts a superb 92% rate of service games won and 79% breakpoints saved. This promises to be a compelling battle between the two highest-ranked American players – with Fritz entering as a slight favorite.
