Alexander Zverev took out his resistance manual to defeat Holger Rune who showed serious, mature and daring tennis, but it did not help him beat the German who knew how to suffer and showed a champion's spirit to take the victory (4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(2) and 6-2 after 4 hours and 11 minutes) and meets Alex de Miñaur in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros 2024 .null
After the agonizing victory, including a comeback, by Novak Djokovic against Francisco Cerúndolo, expectations for the match between Zverev and Rune were lower after the spectacle shown by the Serbian and the Argentine. However, the packed stands of the Philippe Chatier seemed to predict a great duel between two aspirants to achieve great things in the Parisian great.
Despite this, the match began with both tennis players testing each other, trying to pick up the pace and looking for the rival's tickles. And it was Rune who struck first and tipped the balance in his favor, breaking the German's service, who was less offensive.
- Rune took a step forward
Sacha's initial feelings were the same as those he had in much of his long-suffering third-round match against Griekspoor, where he was 4-1 down in the fifth set. His forehand did not run and his backhand did not hurt , in addition, the Dane managed to keep him away from the baseline with deep blows that unnerved the German who was only able to keep up with his serve.
For now, Mouratoglou's pupil's plan was working and the young tennis player seemed more focused and calm than usual. What's more, he knew how to deal with a 0-30 when he served to take the set and came back with brave and determined tennis. In this summary, a serious Rune took the first set 6-4 after 48 minutes.
- Zverev woke up
If anyone thought that Zverev was not going to wake up, it is because they do not know the German's capacity for resistance and adaptation to adverse situations. The Dane did not lower his level, but the German got a little more into the court and went up a gear to break Rune's serve and go up 3-0. The German alternative with his dominant backhand made an appearance at the Philippe Chatrier.
From Rune's constant tennis, shown from the beginning of the match, to the rush to try to recover his serve. This made Zverev break him again to seal the second set . However, the Dane did not want a small setback to jeopardize his great match and recovered one of the two breaks to try to hold on to the set. But Zverev had already woken up from his lethargy and closed the second set 6-1 , which did not reflect what was seen on the court.
The duel was a draw, one set for each, and at this moment one of the two had to impose their tennis. Despite giving up the second, Rune was seen with a point more conviction and achieved the break by clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. But that claw with which he relied to take advantage was the same one that condemned him in the next game, where he gave up his serve.
- A braver Rune took the third set
Everything was happening quite quickly , there were no long rallies and the games were happening without any options for the rest on both sides. And it was at that moment, at 5-5 , where doubts invaded the Dane and he gave away two break points. If Zverev materialized them, the set was practically his. But Rune showed a degree of maturity never seen to date to defend the serve, break the German's and thus take a second set (7-5) where he maintained his nerve in key moments.
Something had to change Zverev because Rune's seriousness showed few weaknesses in his game. He had to make another great comeback like the one he achieved against Griekspoor and he seemed to get his act together because he broke the Dane's serve to send a message that he was not going to give up so quickly. However, something was happening in the German's tennis because he was not being consistent, he wasted games that he had practically won and gave wings to Holger who, helped by great returns, returned the break.
The young Dane exuded confidence on the court. He trusted his tennis so much that he dared with millimetric shots and tremendously crafted shots. While Sacha had to climb Everest to get a break (5 out of 14). With this statistic and Rune's unwavering faith, the match entered dangerous territory for the German who had to find solutions if he wanted to stay alive in Paris.
And the German was aware of this, and tried running from side to side , reaching Rune's drop shots and, finally, taking advantage of two break points to mark the distance in the fourth and get a little closer to the final fifth set. But today was not the day, today the protagonist was an inspired Holger who prevented Zverev from taking the set and equalized 5-5.
- Everything to the fifth
We were seeing the best version of Rune who increasingly believed that he could take the victory, but the German knows how to hold on to the court like no one else when the match needed it. Therefore, the fourth set could not have a better ending than a tie break that decided the match, or took it to a fifth. Finally, Zverev's experience and talents made an appearance when he needed it most and the outcome of the match went to the final set .
The match entered the final stretch with the question of whether the bodies were going to resist, whether Rune was not going to regret the occasion and whether Zverev was going to achieve a new comeback in the Philippe Chatrier. While the statistics favored the German who had won 9 of the 10 matches that had gone to the fifth set at Roland Garros.
However, in tennis not everything is mathematics, it is also emotions and here it was the Dane where he once again controlled them when he played because he saved three break balls with a solid serve and a claw that kept him alive. There was faith, but there was a lack of gasoline , so ideas were clouded and Zverev, impassive , had a little more energy. Enough to break the serve, and see the door to the quarterfinals getting closer and closer.
In the end the logic of the favorite prevailed and Zverev, who rowed against all odds against a hurricane called Rune , imposed his law. That of a complete tennis player, a fighter and with the aura of a champion who shows, with victories like today's, that his candidacy to win Roland Garros is stronger than ever .
