Aussie Popyrin stands in the way of Rublev’s Canadian breakthrough

Australian outsider Alexei Popyrin will try to stop fifth seed Andrey Rublev from  claiming a second ATP Masters title this season when the pair meet in Monday’s Montreal final.

The US Open tune-up has been plagued all week by rainy weather, with the tournament backed up enough that Popyrin had to play and win two matches on the day.

The No. 62  started his day with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 defeat of fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz and followed up a few hours later with a defeat of last week’s Washington titleholder Sebastian Korda 7-6 (0), 6-3.

Rublev, who won the spring Madrid Masters, will be playing his sixth Masters final.

He booked his spot over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-2 in a semi-final interrupted for nearly two hours by rain.

Rublev skipped the Paris Olympics to concentrate on the hardcourt swing. “That was the plan, to be set for the US Open,” he said. “I guess if I’m in the finals of Montreal, it must be working.”

He knocked out world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a Saturday quarter-final.

Rublev said he started fresh after the weather interruption following the first set.

“After the rain delay I played much better. I was focused and could dictate and play more aggressive.”

Popyrin twice traded first-set breaks with Korda, winning the ensuring tiebreak to love and breaking to start the second set.

“It means the world to reach this final, it’s amazing,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling and achievement. I have to pat myself on the back.

“But tomorrow will be all hands on deck and back to work.

“I really needed to win in two sets — I don’t know if my legs would have made it into a third.”