Alexei Popyrin becomes first Aussie since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 to win an ATP Masters 1000 title

Alexei Popyrin profited from the mental fragility of Andrey Rublev on Monday as the Australian won the biggest title of his career at the ATP Montreal Masters.

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World number 62 Popyrin beat sixth-ranked Rublev 6-2, 6-4 in 90 minutes in the US Open tuneup, denying the Russian a second Masters crown this season after winning at Madrid.

"One of the best matches I've played in my life," Popyrin said of the victory. "It's not the way I played in that final that makes me most proud. It's more the way I played all week."

Popyrin is the first Australian to win a Masters 1000 title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 at Indian Wells.

The only other Aussie to reach a Canadian final was Patrick Rafter in 2001, who lost to Romanian Andrei Pavel.

Top of the pops ??The moment @AlexeiPopyrin became the first Aussie to win a Masters 1000 singles title in 21 years, defeating Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 at #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/9Vx1GAhp5r

Popyrin, who turned 25 last week, is the fourth from his nation to win at this level, following Rafter (1998 Toronto, 1998 Cincinnati), Mark Philippoussis (1999 Indian Wells) and Hewitt (2002-2003 Indian Wells).

"This means so much, it means the world," an emotional Popyrin said. "All the hard work we've put in over the last couple of years has paid off."

Popyrin, who beat five top-20 opponents during his run to Canadian glory, said he never felt much pressure.

"I felt pretty calm. I love to play matches like this. There is no point in being nervous or afraid of the opportunity," he said.

"I wanted to impose myself in the first game and I think I managed to do that. It disturbed him a little bit, which was part of the game plan. I kept going in that way."

Rublev, who has boiled over