Holger Rune Defeats Francisco Cerundolo in French Open Fourth Round Epic

Holger Rune’s Monday win was certainly not the best quality-wise, but it showed the tennis world just how strong his mentality is. Despite dealing with multiple cramps and fatigue, the Dane reached his second Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 7-6 (3) 3-6 6-4 1-6 7-6(7) win over Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of the French Open. While undoubtedly a heartbreaker for the Argentine, this match demonstrated mental toughness in long matches for Rune, something he’s struggled with in the past. The match certainly wasn’t the best quality-wise, with both players hitting more unforced errors than winners. However, patches of high quality certainly existed towards the end of the match, and there were plentiful amounts of drama.

Rune was unable to capitalize on a 5-3 lead in the first set, yet persisted through a first-set tiebreak to win 7-6(3). Cerundolo fired back in the second, consistently placing his serves and winning many points off them. The Argentine took the set 6-3, winning 77% and 71% of points behind his first and second serve respectively. Rune also hit 14 unforced errors in the set, to only four winners.

The Return of Holger Rune Antics?

With Cerundolo leading 2-1 in the third set, the Argentine hit a solid deep forehand down the line, in which the ball clearly bounced twice. The chair umpire Kader Nouni missed the ball bounce, as he concentrated on a mishap from a ballboy. In a controversial moment, the ballboy stepped on the court at the same time expecting that the point was over. Not only did this mistake cost Cerundolo the break, but Rune failed to acknowledge the double bounce. No stranger to controversy, many certainly disapproved of Rune’s actions. However, he was able to fight back and take the set 6-4, firing two consecutive forehand winners to lead.

While the Dane frequently involves himself in controversy, many of his fatal flaws involve his vulnerability to cramping. Rune seemed to almost tank the fourth set, conserving energy for what would become a dramatic fifth set. Cerundolo hit a stunning tweener late in the fourth set, finishing the rally with a backhand down the line. The Argentine took the fourth set 6-1, with Rune missing far too many easy shots.

Late Match Drama

A dramatic fifth set ensued, with the crowd gradually getting behind the Argentine. The set went by quickly, yet it seemed that Rune would boil over at 3-4 0-40. However, Cerundolo’s lack of experience prevailed; he made three unfortunate unforced errors including a poor miss at 30-40. Rune’s defensive tactics allowed Cerdunolo to miss more, granting him the key break to lead 5-4.

The excitement of the deep fifth set got the crowd more involved, with the fans pulling for a break back. Cerundolo fired a forehand winner at 30-30, and fatigue certainly hurt Rune towards the end of the game as he lost serve.

Rune’s defensive tennis seemed to become very predictable as the set went on, so he changed his game plan to shorten points. With fatigue settling in, this didn’t help as unforced errors crept into his game. An incredible backhand winner from Cerundolo gave him the essential fifth-set lead.

Riding on final bits of fuel, Rune got the crowd involved on his side, intelligently utilizing serve & volley tactics to shorten the game. An outcome that many could predict early on, a ten-point fifth set would have to decide the match. Despite the double bounce incident, the crowd was split on who to root for.

The fifth-set tiebreak started slow, with quick points controlled by the server. The first turning point seemed to come at 3-3, as Rune missed an easy backhand volley. Another backhand crashed into the net from the Dane, leaving him increasingly frustrated. Echoing Cerundolo’s choke early in the set, the Argentine painfully missed a backhand into the net for Rune to get the mini-break back.

Cerundolo kicked into gear at 5-5, hitting a deep forehand return to push Rune back into the court. Yet, another frustrating backhand miss got Rune back in the match. Changing sides at 6-6, there still seemed to be no favorite in the match.

Rune’s serve and volley kept him alive at 6-7, hitting a short backhand volley that bounced off the frame. Cerundolo’s forehand, seemingly his most consistent shot, nervously missed wide to give Rune another advantage. Cerundolo’s tight backhand continued; he tried to create a consistent cross-court rally but nervously hit wide. With the crowd firmly behind Rune’s side, the Dane was able to win the tiebreak 10-7.

Post Match Thoughts

Into the quarterfinals for the second time, this match was a huge step for Rune after he heartbreakingly lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Andrey Rublev. Fans have pointed to Rune’s stamina as his weakness, but stamina was what got Rune through this battle. Rune will take on Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals, a rematch from the same round last year. In a controversial affair, Ruud won that match 6-1 4-6 7-6 6-3, yet Rune won their most recent meeting in Rome. With Ruud’s inability to take out a Top 20 player this year and Rune’s grit, this is a perfect opportunity for Rune to get some sweet revenge.