Alexey Popyrin started his title defense with a victory at the strong Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto, Canada.

The 18th-seeded Australian defeated world number 638 Nicolas Arseneault 7-6 (7), 6-3 in just over an hour and a half of play.

Popyrin only struggled in the opening set. He had to save a set point in the 12th game and then one in the tiebreak before winning 9-7. The second set started with an early break for the champion, who had no trouble closing things out in his favor after 6-3.

In a fight for a spot in the round of 16, Popirin will face tenth seed Daniil Medvedev, winner of the 2021 event.

The leader in the scheme Alexander Zverev also made no mistake in his first match, defeating Adam Walton in straight sets. The German's next opponent is Matteo Arnaldi of Italy.

Lorenzo Musetti (3), Holger Rune (5), Casper Ruud (8), Karen Khachanov (11) and Francisco Cerundolo (14) also achieved wins. | BGNES