Holger Rune Upsets Carlos Alcaraz and Triumphs in Barcelona Final
Holger Rune thwarted Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a third Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell trophy, stunning the top seed with a score of 7-6, 6-2 in the final on Sunday. This victory marked Rune’s first title in two years. While Alcaraz had triumphed...
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Holger Rune thwarted Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a third Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell trophy, stunning the top seed with a score of 7-6, 6-2 in the final on Sunday. This victory marked Rune’s first title in two years.
While Alcaraz had triumphed in the tournament in both 2022 and 2023, he appeared to struggle with an injury during the match, which Rune capitalized on, securing his first title since the Bavarian Open in April 2023. Rune's victory was well-earned, as he had previously defeated second seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. Following the loss, Alcaraz dropped to third in the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings, falling behind Alexander Zverev, who won the Munich Open earlier on Sunday.
"It means the world, it was such a great match. In the beginning I was a bit stressed because Carlos obviously played big-time tennis and I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm," Rune expressed.
Alcaraz started strong in the opening set, showcasing his powerful baseline returns and deft drop shots, which put Rune on the defensive. He managed to break serve and take a 3-2 lead. However, Rune quickly broke back and then took a surprising 4-3 lead, astonishing the crowd at Spain's oldest tennis club. Alcaraz had to serve to stay in the set on two occasions before forcing a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Alcaraz saved two more set points. Nevertheless, Rune regained control of the points and finally converted his fifth set point when Alcaraz's return went long. "When he broke me, I think I got more into the match and I played more of my tennis. It was a big battle in the first set," Rune noted. "I know how it feels to lose this kind of first set, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. So I'm so proud of myself."
Alcaraz took a brief lead in the second set but then called for a medical timeout to address what appeared to be a thigh muscle or groin issue. However, he struggled to improve after the break, as Rune's performance continued to rise.
Rune was particularly effective at the net, winning 12 of 16 points, while Alcaraz’s unforced errors began to mount, leading to frustrated reactions from the local fans as Rune surged to a 5-2 advantage. In the end, Rune served out the match to love, with Alcaraz’s return hitting the net on championship point, securing the title for the young Dane.
After the match, Rune revealed he had taken inspiration from how Novak Djokovic had defeated Alcaraz in the Olympic final at Roland Garros. "I thought to myself, 'OK, let's try to play that kind of style,' really make him play a lot of balls," Rune said. "I'm very happy with how I stayed composed when it really mattered. I was also very brave when it mattered."
Max Fischer for TROIB News
While Alcaraz had triumphed in the tournament in both 2022 and 2023, he appeared to struggle with an injury during the match, which Rune capitalized on, securing his first title since the Bavarian Open in April 2023. Rune's victory was well-earned, as he had previously defeated second seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. Following the loss, Alcaraz dropped to third in the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings, falling behind Alexander Zverev, who won the Munich Open earlier on Sunday.
"It means the world, it was such a great match. In the beginning I was a bit stressed because Carlos obviously played big-time tennis and I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm," Rune expressed.
Alcaraz started strong in the opening set, showcasing his powerful baseline returns and deft drop shots, which put Rune on the defensive. He managed to break serve and take a 3-2 lead. However, Rune quickly broke back and then took a surprising 4-3 lead, astonishing the crowd at Spain's oldest tennis club. Alcaraz had to serve to stay in the set on two occasions before forcing a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Alcaraz saved two more set points. Nevertheless, Rune regained control of the points and finally converted his fifth set point when Alcaraz's return went long. "When he broke me, I think I got more into the match and I played more of my tennis. It was a big battle in the first set," Rune noted. "I know how it feels to lose this kind of first set, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. So I'm so proud of myself."
Alcaraz took a brief lead in the second set but then called for a medical timeout to address what appeared to be a thigh muscle or groin issue. However, he struggled to improve after the break, as Rune's performance continued to rise.
Rune was particularly effective at the net, winning 12 of 16 points, while Alcaraz’s unforced errors began to mount, leading to frustrated reactions from the local fans as Rune surged to a 5-2 advantage. In the end, Rune served out the match to love, with Alcaraz’s return hitting the net on championship point, securing the title for the young Dane.
After the match, Rune revealed he had taken inspiration from how Novak Djokovic had defeated Alcaraz in the Olympic final at Roland Garros. "I thought to myself, 'OK, let's try to play that kind of style,' really make him play a lot of balls," Rune said. "I'm very happy with how I stayed composed when it really mattered. I was also very brave when it mattered."
Max Fischer for TROIB News
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