Sunday delivered a day full of action, emotions, and thrilling finishes at the ATP 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto, completing the full lineup for the upcoming quarterfinals. All Round of 16 matches from the bottom half of the draw were highly competitive, with three going the full distance and two decided in third-set tiebreaks. The quarterfinals promise no less intensity, with a fresh slate of exciting matchups. Here's a full breakdown of what to expect in Toronto's quarterfinal round.

Zverev vs Popyrin: Top Seed vs Reigning Champ

Alexander Zverev entered the Round of 16 with a mission to overturn his 0–3 head-to-head record against Francisco Cerundolo. All of Cerundolo's previous wins over the German had come on clay, a surface where the Argentine thrives. Zverev had reached this stage without much drama, despite dropping a set to Matteo Arnaldi in the previous round.

The match started off shakily for Zverev, echoing past struggles against Cerundolo. The German was the aggressor in rallies but committed 15 unforced errors in the opening set, giving Cerundolo an early break lead. However, Zverev regained his form mid-set and took it 6–4. Cerundolo’s movement visibly declined due to an abdominal injury, and after the start of the second set, he was forced to retire.

Zverev will now face the reigning champion Alexei Popyrin, who continues his love affair with Canadian courts. Popyrin, the Montreal 2024 champion, stunned Daniil Medvedev in the previous round and followed it with another upset over Holger Rune.

Despite not being favored - odds stood at 3.89 against Medvedev and 2.72 versus Rune - Popyrin delivered. He dropped the first set after failing to convert any of his 11 breakpoints, while Rune had impressively faced none in his two previous Toronto matches.

Yet, Popyrin didn't lose confidence. From the start of the second set, he won 27 of 30 first-serve points and capitalized on two breakpoints to force a decider. There, he converted his only break opportunity to win 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. With 29 winners to 24 unforced errors, Popyrin's performance was solid, while Rune hurt his chances with 39 unforced errors.

Statistically, Popyrin lags behind Zverev in most hard-court metrics, apart from tiebreak win percentage. Another upset will require a near-flawless display.

Khachanov to Face Breakout Star Michelsen

Karen Khachanov will meet Alex Michelsen in the second quarterfinal from the top half. Khachanov defeated Casper Ruud 6–4, 7–5 in a high-quality match. The Russian dominated on serve, winning 29 of 30 first-serve points and firing 29 winners.

Ruud kept up with 9 aces of his own but faced too much pressure - 24 pressure points on his own serve versus just 7 created.

Michelsen, meanwhile, reached his first-ever ATP 1000 quarterfinal by beating fellow American Learner Tien 6–3, 6–3. The 19-year-old Tien committed 20 unforced errors, including 8 double faults. Michelsen's draw has been relatively kind - only one seeded opponent in Lorenzo Musetti, who continues to struggle on hard courts. Stats comparisons show both Michelsen and Khachanov rely heavily on serve, and while an upset isn't out of the question, this will be Michelsen's first true test.

Shelton vs De Minaur: Top 10 Showdown

Ben Shelton and Alex de Minaur have both been on the rise in 2025 and now face each other in a top-10 clash. Both survived three-setters in the Round of 16.

De Minaur faced Frances Tiafoe in a scrappy encounter with a combined 84 unforced errors (35 from De Minaur, 49 from Tiafoe). After taking the first set, De Minaur dropped the second but rebounded to win 6–2, 4–6, 6–4. The Aussie, who recently claimed the ATP 500 title in Washington, looks primed for a deep run.

Shelton faced Flavio Cobolli in what was expected to be the most one-sided matchup of the day. But the Italian made it surprisingly competitive. After losing the first set, Cobolli improved his serve drastically - from 58% to 88% first-serve points won - and pushed Shelton to the brink.

Shelton trailed in the third set but broke back to force a tiebreak, which he dominated 7–1. He advanced with a 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(1) win, avoiding what would have been a major upset.

 

Fritz vs Rublev: Battle of the Big Hitters

Sunday night ended with two grueling matches involving top Americans. Taylor Fritz needed over three hours to outlast Jiri Lehecka in a serving masterclass where no breaks occurred. Fritz won 7–6(5), 6–7(3), 7–6(5), rallying from 2–4 down in the final tiebreak.

Lehecka put consistent pressure on Fritz, creating 9 breakpoints and 29 pressure points to Fritz’s 19. Despite this, the Czech couldn’t break serve and will regret missed opportunities.

Andrey Rublev’s match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina mirrored Fritz’s in rhythm. The two played clean through two sets without breaks, with Rublev hitting 12 aces and winning 90% of first-serve points. Fokina matched with 8 aces but struggled physically.

At 0–3 in the final set, Fokina retired due to cramping and overall exhaustion, capping off a demanding week. Rublev now advances to his first ATP 1000 quarterfinal of the year, facing Fritz in what promises to be a tightly contested affair. Their player profiles look very simillar with Fritz being more concrete in all areas, however Rublev's form seems to be solidly rising in Toronto.