A Heavyweight Battle

Big Serves and forehands are on the menu today...

Well, where do I even start with those two players? Let's start with Popyrin... he has been doing his best to recreate his dream title run here in Montreal back in 2024. There is a lot of desperation as well, since his form has been horrendous for a while, and he is in free fall in the rankings. Well, he has now had three matches where his serve and forehand are untouchable! He is definitely in the zone now, and it's good to see Popyrin finally playing some good tennis again! As for Tirante, he just about managed to not get knocked out in the first round against Chan, the wildcard. His match against Fritz was almost perfect... just like Popyrin, he was absolutely untouchable on serve and with his forehand, just crazy quality. Fritz was getting pummeled the entire match, but I will mention that he was not physically 100%. Nonetheless, everything clicked for Tirante, with some very good drop shots as well.

Well, there is not a lot to say about the matchup, is there? Both will look to serve big and finish points quickly with their forehands. Both players can move around the court pretty decently for their size... backhands are definitely the weak wing for both. Popyrin is perhaps the more reliable server, especially on second serve! I also rate his net game more, especially now with some confidence.