Another blow in Rome: Novak Djokovic was eliminated by the 20-year-old “boy wonder” Holger Rune

the Danish Rune Holger He gave the second blow at the Masters 1000 in Rome and eliminated the number one in the ATP ranking, Novak Djokovic. The Serbian fell with a sensational 6-2 in the first set and recovered in the second with a tight 6-4. Finally, the so-called 20-year-old “wunderkind” rallied in the third and gave Nole no chance to score another clear 6-2 on the sheet. The collision adds to the surprise that caused Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán to win over Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic arrived in Rome as defending champion and world number one to face a player with whom he had an equal history. They had met at the 2021 US Open and last year’s Roland Garros, sharing victories. And the young Danish-born hit the mark again: he played two high-flying sets against the Serbian (who from Monday will lose the number one in the ranking again against Carlitos Alcaraz) and went to the semifinals where the winner awaits for the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo and Casper Ruud.

The Norwegian, number 7 in the world, mixed with the Roman climate and became a storm for Djokovic throughout the match. The first set knocked him out in 39 minutes after a near-perfect bet that put the favorite and defender of the Italian crown on the ropes.

He started to break, saved two “break” balls and kept level throughout the duel, in which he had a set point before making it 1-0.

But in front was Djokovic. Less discomfort in the waist and elbow, but Djokovic after all. Both, among other things, asked for medical assistance and at one point during the match they vehemently protested against the referee’s decisions. It was the only thing they agreed on on a center court with a very tense atmosphere.

That tension that didn’t subside after the stop caused by the rain that suspended the match for more than an hour when ‘Nole’ had the set in hand.

A second sleeve that needed to be worked on, like the rest he’s played so far in Rome, in which he hasn’t shown the ease and solvency he’s used to. He took the Dane’s serve and went ahead 5-2, with everything in front, but he gave up his serve and Rune chased a comeback (5-4 with serve) that shut down the number two of the circuit with another ‘break ‘.

The tense match inevitably led to a third set in which the semifinal was on the line. And when everything indicated that the figure from Belgrade would emerge to dispel doubts in one of his favorite tournaments, the young Rune appeared instead to reverse the appointment and leave him orphaned of clear favourites, now without Alcaraz and without Djokovic.

He did it big too. With two ‘breaks’ in a row and keeping his serve, he places himself on 4-0 and leaves the audience speechless, waiting for a reaction from ‘Nole’ that doesn’t arrive.

Rune, albeit with difficulty and blocking a break point, managed to keep his serve and seal a well-deserved victory, the second in a row against the Serbian, whom he had already beaten in Paris at the end of 2022. For now, in one-on-one, the Dane is one of the few who can say he has more wins (2) than losses (1) against Djokovic.

In the semifinals, Rune awaits this afternoon’s match between the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4) and the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo (31).