Italian Open Highlights: After taking down Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open 2023, Holger Rune has earned himself another impressive victory as the French Open comes closer and closer. Rune beat world no. 4 Casper Ruud 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 to reach his first Italian Open final. After being a set and a break down, Rune came back to win 10 of the next 12 games to claim a three-set win over the French Open 2022 finalist. In the final, Rune will face either world no. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas or world no. 3 Daniil Medvedev. Follow Italian Open 2023 LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
YASSS💥 Holger Rune completes the comeback to reach Rome Masters final on his debut appearance!
Turns around world No.4 Casper Ruud from a set and a break down to win 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2. Third final of 2023, 8th overall!
Rune won 10 of the last 12 games 🤯 pic.twitter.com/GWqTJ5ppV2
— Holger Rune News (@running_rune) May 20, 2023
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It’s the third clay-court final this season for Rune, after the 20-year-old Dane won a title in Munich, Germany, and was beaten by Andrey Rublev for the Monte Carlo Masters trophy.
The seventh-ranked Rune was coming off a win over six-time Rome champion Djokovic in the quarterfinals — his second victory against the 22-time Grand Slam champion in little more than six months.
How the match unfolded
In a tight and spectacular first set, Ruud won the first five points of the tiebreaker to take control.
The match was filled with memorable points, starting when Ruud ran down a drop shot and replied with a delicate but sharply angled winner in the second game.
Rune was ready the next time that Ruud attempted the same shot and ran down a seemingly impossible ball outside the doubles alley, sending Ruud back toward the baseline before eventually finishing the point off with a volley winner. Rune then waved his hands to urge on roars from the crowd.
After Ruud broke serve midway through the second set, Rune took a medical timeout to have his right shoulder treated.
Rune then produced an 83 mph (134 kph) forehand return winner off a first serve as he broke to take the second set.
At the start of the third, Rune whipped another forehand cross-court after he was stretched off the court.
Under constant pressure due to Rune’s court coverage and footspeed, Ruud double-faulted to hand Rune a break early in the third and never recovered.
The match was played in overcast conditions under intermittent rain.
Editors pick
