The Dane roared into his first Sunshine Swing quarterfinal after rallying from the brink of defeat against the 2022 champion.
CA — Indian Wells At the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, Holger Rune produced a Horacio comeback, defeating 2022 champion Taylor Fritz 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 after trailing by a break at match point.
“Winning these kinds of matchups means a lot,” Rune stated during the press conference held after the game. “It provides me the chance to play another match against a fantastic opponent tomorrow.”
Ranked seventh going into the desert, Rune played some of his greatest tennis right before losing to the No. 12 seed. In just one hour and fifty-six minutes, he completed the men’s last-eight pairing and advanced to his first Sunshine Swing quarterfinal on Stadium 1 Court.
Fritz last faced Rune in Miami this past spring, winning in straight sets. Despite this, the 20-year-old Dane entered the match rated higher than Fritz since he had advanced to two Masters 1000 finals and two Grand Slam quarterfinals in 2023.
Fritz, 26, is off to a good start in 2024. Last month, he won his seventh ATP championship in Delray Beach and advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals. He easily defeated No. 19 seed Sebastian Baez in just four games to go to the fourth round without dropping a set. Rune, on the other hand, won his opening match by a walkover and overcame Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets on Monday.
After exchanging service holds for the opening five games of their match, Fritz broke the match wide open with a break and won the following four games to take the lead. Their match began equally tense.
When Rune held to begin the second set and gave Fritz a good push on his serve at two games apiece, he attempted to bring the match back to order. For the first time in the game, Fritz faced break points, but he saved both with brash aggression to keep Rune behind.
“I actually began to play better in the middle of the second set,” Rune remembered. “I was pushing him a little more in my return games, and my serve had a few easier service games in a sense. I felt like I was hitting the ball more accurately and that I was moving more at ease.”
In the subsequent tiebreaker, Rune reversed the roles, storming through the first four games and forcing Fritz into a forehand error to equalize the match. Rune had been serving to stay in the match.
“I felt more confident when I saved the match point. Even though I was down 5–4, I suppose I still had confidence in myself. I simply became distracted very easily, which is how he won the match points in that service game. After that, I was on the verge of breaking him. After holding, he executed a masterful tiebreak.”
Rune carried up his winning form into the third set, breaking the only tie and winning with a forehand smash.
Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 champion who beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets earlier in the afternoon, is waiting for the Dane in the round of eight.
Rune declared, “It’s going to be an entertaining contest.” “On clay courts, we faced off twice. This will be the pair’s first encounter on a hard court. I’m thrilled. He’s a formidable foe. Not the same player as many others. He possesses a large serve just like Fritz does. Yes, I will simply play my game and have faith in myself.”
