Seventh-seeded Holger Rune bounced back from dropping the first set to outlast Casper Ruud in an all-Scandinavian semifinal clash on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Rune rode the momentum of his quarterfinal victory over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and overcame nine aces by the fourth-seeded Ruud to post a 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 win.
“I really played some of my best tennis in the past two matches against Novak and then Casper,” the 20-year-old Denmark native said. “Two difficult players to play, so I had to find my best tennis and I actually didn’t find it today, only at the end and that is why I turned it around.”
Rune did precisely that in the second set, when he overcame a 4-2 deficit in the second set en route to dismissing the 24-year-old Norwegian in 2 hours and 41 minutes.
“I had nothing to lose in the second (set), so I just told myself to play freely and enjoy it as I thought it would be my last set here,” Rune said. “I told myself to play aggressively and enjoy it and I did it and that was the key to comeback.”
Rune will bid for his second ATP Masters 1000 crown on Sunday when he faces the winner of the semifinal clash between third-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia and fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
Rune saved 5-of-6 break points, while Ruud went 0-for-4. Ruud didn’t help himself by committing six double faults.
–Field Level Media