Alexei Popyrin has won the biggest match of his career after upsetting No.5 seed Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 at the Montreal Masters in Canada.
The Olympian becomes the first Aussie male to win a Masters 1000 title since Lleyton Hewitt clinched the Indian Wells crown in 2003.
Popyrin came flying out of the blocks with a break in the opening game in a near-flawless first set, cracking Rublev’s serve once more to have one hand on the trophy.
Crunching forehand winners and aggressive tennis was the blueprint for Popyrin to gain the upper hand - breaking Rublev in the first game of the second set yet again.
A composed head and continuous positivity directed toward his support camp had only one winner written all over it, as Popyrin fell to the ground in disbelief to wrap up an incredible week.
The 25-year-old now moves up to a career-high No.23 in the live rankings - well poised to earn a top 32 seed at the upcoming US Open.
"It means the world, for all the hard work I've put in over the years, all the sacrifices I have made," Popyrin said during the post-match ceremony.
“My family left Australia early on in my life to pursue my tennis career, with my brother [Anthony] and my younger sister [Sonia]. They’ve just sacrificed so much, and I wouldn’t be here without them.
“This is one of the few weeks when my girlfriend [Amy] isn’t travelling with me, and I win the tournament. I hope she comes to New York now (for the US Open)."
It marks the third top 10 win this week for Popyrin, who recently got the better of Grigor Dimitrov (No.7 seed) and Hubert Hurkacz (No.4 seed).
The Sydneysider joins Pat Rafter, Ken Rosewall, and Rod Laver as the only Aussie men to win the Montreal title.
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