Roland Garros: Holger Rune rebuked Tsitsipas and broke the nearly 100 -year curse for Danish tennis

Young Danish Holger Rune, 19 years old and N.40 in the ATP rankings, eliminated current Roland Garros runner-up, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (N.4), whom he defeated 7-5, 3-6, 6- 3 and 6-4 and qualified for the quarterfinals, where he will face Norwegian Casper Ruud (N.8).

Rune, who is compared by many because of his age and his impressive tennis with Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (N.6), beat Tsitsipas, the only member of the top ten eliminated so far and a finalist in Paris in 2021, with the incredible. arsenal of 54 wins and 32 drops.

Just at the end of the fight Rune’s wrist seemed to be shaking, but he knew how to resolve the situation, despite his inexperience in moments like this. the Dane after the match, referring to Philippe Chatrier’s spectators, who clearly reaped his side.

“I was nervous, but I knew I had to stick to my game plan if I was to give myself a chance,” Rune added, referring to the decision -maker in the fourth set, when Tsitsipas had a chance to force the fifth set.

Rune reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, something no Danish tennis player has achieved since 1925. And a player with this nationality has not reached the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam since Jan Leschly did so at the 1967 US Open.

Numerically, the game is more even than the scoreboard might indicate, but there’s no doubt, what’s even better about the young Danish phenomenon is when it comes to playing decisive points, where he always gets another shot. than Tsitsipas, he succeeded. to him a loud drive or one of the many drop shots that drove the Greek crazy.

For example, after Tsitsipas wasted three break points in the eighth game of the first set, Rune exhausted his chance in the 11th game via a forehand crosscourt to beat Tsitsipas’s exit to the net. Or in the third set, where there was only one ‘break point’ … Rune didn’t miss it.

Even in the fourth set, after lifting a 5-2 deficit, Tsitsipas had three balls to make it even 5-5. The first, Rune solved it with the umpteenth forehand winner and the others had two services where Tsitsipas. not answered.

If Rune made history for Danish tennis, Ruud made it for Norwegian, by becoming the first player of this nationality to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

Ruud qualified after beating Pole Hubert Hurkacz (N.13) in four sets, 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and established himself as one of the best players of the season, after scoring in 2022 his 28th victory with just nine losses.

The Norwegian also added two titles this year, both on clay (Buenos Aires and Geneva, the week before Roland Garros started), in addition to other outstanding results such as the final in Miami (which he lost against the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz on hard) and the Rome Masters 1000 semifinals (defeated by Novak Djokovic on clay).

“It was a goal for me to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final,” said Ruud, who missed the Australian Open earlier this year due to injury.