Courageous Popyrin comes back from the brink again, earns quarter-final berth in Toronto

(Getty/Matthew Stockman)

After his come-from-behind win against Daniil Medvedev on Friday, Alexei Popyrin opened up about the daunting pressure as a defending champion in Canada.

"When it comes to this week, you kind of just face it," the Aussie said. "You just accept that, quite probably, you'll drop outside the top 50 if you don't win matches, and you just face it. And that's what I did this week, and it's kind of like a weight off my shoulder now, and I'm just playing free."

Remember, if he doesn't go back-to-back, he is likely to fall outside the world’s top 30.

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Again, Popyrin found himself trailing by a set in his fourth round match in Toronto against fifth seed Holger Rune, but last year's Montreal winner pulled himself together like a mature veteran in a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win.

Popyrin's aggression was rewarded in the third set, as the 25-year-old let out a pair of almighty roars after breaking for 3-1 and bravely fending off two break points in the subsequent game.

Down break point at 30-40 when serving for the match, two massive first serves and an audacious lob by Popyrin confirmed that he is indeed "playing freely".

"It means a lot," said Popyrin, who recorded 30 winners and 14 aces.

"I started this week not high on confidence, but my game was always there, and I just needed the mental side to get the grasp. This week, I kind of just let go of all the pressure that I had, and it's working out for me, which is good."

Popyrin later added that he was "pissed" for the first minute after dropping the opening set, realising he had squandered 11 break point chances.

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Now up to a career-high world No.19 in the live rankings, the big-hitting Australian has won nine straight matches on the Canadian hard courts.

"I just feel comfortable on these courts," Popyrin admitted, who has registered a win-loss of 10-15 in all other tour-level events since the start of last year's Canadian Open.

"I think the surface is a little bit quicker, which, I don't know if it makes sense, but it makes me have a little bit more time on the court because I hit my first aggressive shot and then I can kind of dictate from there."

He awaits world No.3 Alexander Zverev for the chance to reach the last four.

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