Cincinnati Open 2024: Holger Rune beats Jack Draper, becomes first Danish player in ATP tour to reach semifinals

Holger Rune had not win a single match at Cincinnati Open until this year.

Holger Rune ended his losing streak at Cincinnati Open with landmark wins this year. He defeated Jack Draper in straight sets during the quarterfinals at Cincinnati. With the win, Rune became the first Danish man to reach the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open. He will next face Frances Tiafoe for a place in the finals.

Rune played his shortest match yet at Cincinnati Open 2024 in the quarterfinals. He only needed an hour and sixteen minutes to dispatch Draper. It was the pair’s first meeting on the tour and the British player stood no chance against Rune.

Even though Rune’s serve was a bit slower than his opponent, he made up for it through meticulous work at the net and was hitting clean groundstrokes from the start of the match. The 21-year-old has hit 81 winners in four matches at Cincinnati Open 2024 so far and could breach the triple digit mark against Frances Tiafoe.

What has Holger Rune’s approach been at Cincinnati Open 2024 so far?

Holger Rune has been coming to the net more often at Cincinnati Open 2024. Even though some reports suggest the courts have been faster, it has made the Danish player attack from the front. He has won at least 60 percent of net points in each match at Cincinnati so far.

The World No #16 has been swift around the court and has been hitting fiery groundstrokes. He will need the same against an in-form Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. Tiafoe is known for his crafty skills at the net and produces slow but angled shots when needed.

Also Read: Cincinnati Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka beats Iga Swiatek, equals record for most wins against World No 1

Rune will hope to keep Tiafoe at the baseline as the net game approach will be tricky against the American. Tiafoe is playing in his eighth consecutive appearance at the event while Rune is playing for the third consecutive time. Both players reached the quarterfinals for the first time at Cincinnati this year and now have a chance to improve their record.

Rune will rely on his attacking groundstrokes and supreme court coverage against Tiafoe. The world No # 27 has now completed 200 career wins on the tour and will hope that the winning streak continues even though the odds are not in his favour.

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