ATP
FAA fends off emotional Rune in Basel
Felix Auger-Aliassime won a re-run of last October’s final, defeating a listless Holger Rune 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the title match at the Swiss Indoors for the second year in a row.
The Canadian whose season went walkabout (injury, illness) during most of 2023 after lifting three titles in three weeks last autumn, will play his first ATP final since his defeat of Rune 12 months ago here.
The loss in 83 minutes put Rune in danger as his bid to remain in the eight-man ATP Finals comes under pressure.
The 20-year-old Dane currently holds the last place in the Turin field but is just over 200 points ahead of chasing contender Huber Hurkacz, a semi-final winner earlier in the day over Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5). .
The Pole moved up a place to provisional ninth passing Taylor Fritz in the points table.
Hurkacz finished with 23 winners and 35 unforced errors, going two-for-seven on break chances.
“I served for it, but Ugo played amazing,” the winner said. “The match was not so much fun for me at the end.
“I was just trying to stay in it, going for a chance to fight.”
Rune never appeared to be in the match from the start, with the player now coached by Boris Becker antsy and distracted by such inconveniences as camera lights in the crowd at the St Jakobshalle.
The Dane rushed through his service games while his opponent remained concentrated as he dealt with the minor meltdown on the opposite side of the court..
FAA held his nerve as Rune salvaged three break points in the third game of the second set which would have put him two breaks down.
The calm Canadian ultimately prevailed, securing the double break for 5-2 and serving out victory a game later after saving two break points and finishing with a service winner.
“That was my best match in awhile – maybe this season,” FAA said “You have to go back to last autumn when I was playing this well.
“Holger beat me a few weeks ago in Beijing, where I made too many mistakes.
“Maybe he was waiting for that again today, but I didn’t give them to him.
“It was a mental battle, you can easily lose focus. I had to keep being the aggressor in the second set.”
Hurkacz, who won a Masters in Shanghai,and will now play his second final from his last three events. needed five match points – and an eighth ace – to close out victory in two and three-quarter hours.
The Pole won a match for the 10th time this season thanks to success in a final-set tiebreak finish.
He missed a pair of winning chances leading 5-23 in the third set, with Humbert saving two match points.
Hurkacz earned three more chances in the tiebreaker, finally moving through after falling on the court late in the match and bloodying the knuckles on his right hand.
Auger-Aliassime leads their career series 2-1.
Holger Rune battled past injured Carlos Alcaraz to spoil the Spanish Easter party at the Barcelona Open, with the Dane lifting the trophy 7-6 (6), 6-2.
The pair of 21-year-olds were familiar foes, having played 20 times in juniors before hitting the Tour; Rune won the first 500 series title of his career and his fifth overall.
Alcaraz was treated three times in the second set after an apparent injury to his upper right thigh/groin after duelling hard in the opening set at the Real Club.
The loss will send Alcaraz back to third in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving back to second behind Jannik Sinner as a result of winning the Munich title on Sunday.
Rune, a first-round victim last week in Monte Carlo, reversed his clay momentum in Spain, handing Alcaraz a first loss of a set for the week.
The Spanish top seed’s two final shots both clipped the top of the net and fell back as Rune raised his hands in celebration after 97 minutes on court in the Catalan capital.
“This means the world,” the winner said. “I started the match stressed, he was playing big-time tennis.
“I was able to find my rhythm after he broke me (3-2 in the opening set) and I got more into the match.
“The first set was a big battle with a lot of important points. It was super-important to win the set and gain momentum.
“I’m so proud of myself.”
Rune ended with 18 winners while the ailing Alcaraz produced 33 unforced errors. The Dane claimed his 50th match win on clay and levelled his Tour record in the series to 2-2.
Rune said he channeled Novak Djokovic’s Paris Olympic gold medal win from last summer over Alcaraz as he struggled to turn his game around in Barcelona.
“I asked myself what Novak did to win that final. I (realised) that I didn’t need to hit every ball on the line. I need to make him play and hit a lot of balls.”
Rune, who won the elite Paris Bercy Masters 1000 title in 2022, finally began reversing a 13-match loss streak against top five opponents.with his title victory.
Alcaraz may be racing for fitness with the Madrid Masters starting on Wednesday as the ATP ploughs ahead with an unpopular two-week format for Masters tournaments despite growing protest from exhausted players.
Main photo:- Holger Rune celebrates Barcelona win – by ATPTour.com
Alexander Zverev turned 28 on Sunday and awarded himself a third title on his home Munich clay as he beat Ben Shelton 6-2,6-4 to win the ATP event.
The 2017 and 2018 champion here is now threatening Carlos Alcaraz as the pair duel for the world No. 2 position which the Spaniard took over last week after winning Monte Carlo.
Zverev schooled lefthander Shelton in 70 minutes for a second win in their series. The winner becomes the second to hold three Munich titles after countryman Philipp Kohlschreiber (2007, 2012, 2016).
“I’m enjoying my birthday so far,” Zverev said. “It’s extremely special to win in Germany, the most special thing I can do.
January’s Australian Open finalist added: “It’s definitely a great birthday present, I knew I had to play my best today, conditions were very hot and very fast.They were perfect for me.”
The winner broke three times while never facing a challenge to his serve from Shelton as he claimed a sixth career title at the 500-Tour level.
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev with his “birthday” trophy – by BMW Open/Bitpanda
Alexander Zverev gave fans in Munich what they were after as the top seed rolled into the final of the clay ATP in Bavaria with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 defeat of Fabian Marozsan.
World No. 3 Zverev, who won the titles in 2017 and 2018 needed 91 minutes to advance into a title match with Ben Shelton.
The American earned his spot with a .2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 defeat of Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
Zverev advanced with nine aces and broke twice in the tidy win over his Hungarian opposition.
“It’s awesome. The entire week has been great. Everybody is really enjoying the weather as well as the new Center Court,” the winner said. .
“I’m enjoying myself and hopefully I will have another great day tomorrow.”
Shelton reached his fourth career final, becoming the first American man to reach a clay final above ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi won the Rome Masters 23 years ago.
“It’s a big win for me. To get a win on clay against a guy like him gives me a lot of confidence,” Shelton.
“I’m really happy and excited to be in a 500-level final in Europe, my second clay-court tournament this season.
“I’ve been playing well this week and I’m not too stressed right now.”
Main photo:-Alexander Zverev winning in front of his home crowd – by ATPTour.com
Sabalenka hoping to turn her luck in Stuttgart
Rune rises to the occasion with defeat of Alcaraz
Zverev grabs a birthday gift with third Munich title
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