Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) – Denmark’s Holger Rune beat Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4 to reach the Indian Wells ATP Masters final on Saturday, denying the Russian world number six a third straight trip to the title match. Rune, ranked 13th, snapped a seven-match losing streak in semi-finals and will face either two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Britain’s Jack Draper on Sunday.
“It means everything,” Rune said. “The job is not over yet, but it feels amazing. Playing Daniil is one of the toughest challenges for me on tour. I obviously had the right tactics, but it was still so difficult because he puts in great effort and is super solid.”
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In a rematch of last year’s quarter-finals, the 21-year-old Rune showed admirable discipline against Medvedev’s vaunted defense, sticking in the rallies and keeping the Russian off balance with a variety of shots while making judicious use of his powerful forehand. After an early exchange of breaks in the opening set, Rune managed to grind out a key hold for 4-4, saving one break point in a game that went to deuce six times and lasted nearly 11 minutes. He gained the decisive break for a 6-5 lead and pocketed the set when his rolling backhand drew another error from Medvedev.
The second set was a more straightforward affair after Rune broke Medvedev at love for a 2-1 lead. After two nervy points as he served for the match, Rune rallied from 0-30 down and survived another mammoth rally to give himself a match point, punctuating the victory with a forehand winner.
“It’s about finding the right tempo, and luckily I’ve got good leg work, so I can reach many balls,” Rune said. “It’s about finding the right pace and which shots to hit, because so many players miss too many shots against Daniil. He makes you go for more, so I’m super proud that I managed to find the right rhythm.”
Rune, whose ascent has slowed since he burst on the scene in 2022 with a victory over Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters final, reached his first tour-level final since Brisbane in January of 2024.
© 2024 AFP
