Holger Rune Outlasts Ruud To Reach Second Masters 1000 Final In 2023 - UBITENNIS

Holger Rune Outlasts Ruud To Reach Second Masters 1000 Final In 2023

Holger Rune is into his second Masters 1000 final of the season.

By Tony Fairbairn
3 Min Read

Holger Rune is into his second Masters 1000 final of the season after defeating Casper Ruud 6-7(2) 6-4 6-2 in Rome.

The Dane came back from 4-2 down in the second set as he forged a comeback against the Norwegian to reach his second Masters 1000 final of 2023.

After reaching the final in Monte-Carlo, Rune has backed that up with a solid clay court season which has ended in reaching the final in Rome.

Rune has now gained 27 wins this season and is up to world number six in the live rankings.

After the match Rune said he was satisfied with his game from a mental point of view and admits he plays his best tennis when against the best players in the world, “I think how I managed to stay mentally composed when I was down and keep believing and keep trying to seek for my best tennis because I didn’t find it for the first set and a half,” Rune commented when asked about what he was most pleased with.

“It’s tough. It’s long time not to be able to find your best shots, stuff like this.
But again, it was strong from my side that I kept believing. I managed to find it. I kept trusting the process and the way of playing, that I play. Yeah, I managed to make it happen and beat him, so I’m super happy.

“I play some of my best tennis when I play the top guys of the world. I mean, it’s a good time to play your best tennis because you need it against
those players. I’ve managed to do it many times now.

“Yeah, I think it’s obviously some of the toughest challenge to face guys in top five because they’re obviously some of the best guys in the world. But, yeah, I play well when I play them.”

It’s clear that Rune thrives on the challenge of playing the world’s best players having beaten Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud in back-to-back matches.

Now Rune will look to win the second Masters 1000 title of his career when he takes on either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

Rune leads the head-to-head against Medvedev and Tsitsipas 1-0 and 2-0 respectively heading into Sunday’s showpiece finale.

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