Holger Rune is rapidly regaining the form he once displayed, following a three-set victory on Wednesday over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
The 23-year-old Danish tennis player defeated the world No. 28 by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 after two hours of play, to secure his spot in the quarter-final of the ATP tournament in Basel, Switzerland.
This marks Rune’s second win on the ATP Tour since returning to the court following a long-term injury.
In Basel, Rune won his first-round match against the big-serving Frenchman Quentin Halys in three tightly contested sets. He faced a similarly difficult challenge against Hurkacz, who is also known for his powerful serve.
Rune was broken once in the first set and was unable to break back, despite having three break points in the Pole’s subsequent service game.
Things went better for Rune in the second set; the Dane managed a single service break, which proved sufficient to level the match at one set apiece. In the third set, neither player managed to break each other’s serve, and the match came down to a tiebreak.
Hurkacz’s serve—otherwise strong throughout the match—faltered, and the two players traded breaks back and forth.
Rune got a lucky break with a net-cord shot, but subsequently committed a double fault as momentum continued to swing back and forth. When it came down to the decisive moments, Rune displayed the courage and quality that previously propelled him into the world's top 10.
Rune missed a match point while leading 6-5, hitting the ball well beyond the baseline. Shortly after, Hurkacz earned a match point of his own, which Rune fended off with solid play from the baseline.
When Rune secured his second match point, he did not falter, celebrating loudly inside St. Jakobshalle following a hard-fought victory.
In Friday’s quarter-final, Rune will face the winner of the match between Rafael Jodar and Valentin Vacherot. Jodar is ranked 11th in the world, while Vacherot is ranked 31st.