Holger Rune checks on ball-kid after accidentally hitting her arm at Monte-Carlo Masters
Holger Rune was quick to check on and apologize to a ball kid after his racket accidentally came into contact with her arm during his second-round match against Dominic Thiem at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.
During a thrilling rally with Thiem, Rune found himself chasing down a powerful forehand when his racket accidentally struck the forearm of one of the ball kids. The young girl appeared to be in pain, prompting the Dane to immediately rush to her aid.
Holger Rune put on a dominant performance against Dominic Thiem to begin his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The World No. 9 engaged in his aggressive brand of tennis, winning five consecutive games from 1-2 to clinch the first set. He won all 14 of his first-serve points in the opening set.
Rune was serving for the match at 5-4 when Thiem struck two powerful shots to score his first break point opportunity in the second set. However, Rune maintained his composure despite being 15-40 down to serve out two aces before securing a victory on his third match point, winning 6-2, 6-4.
"I'm happy with how I controlled most of the match" - Holger Rune
Following his win, Holger Rune expressed his satisfaction at making a strong start to his clay court season, especially against a player of Dominic Thiem's caliber.
"It's my first match back on clay so there were a few adjustments to make. But I'm all in all happy with how I handled the situation on court. Dominic already played a couple of matches [on clay]. He's a dangerous player. He can hit winners from anywhere in the court so I had to be sharp, move well and play well," he said.
While he acknowledged his slight missteps in closing out the match, Rune expressed overall satisfaction with his control over the majority of the clash.
"Of course there were a few moments at the end where I think he had maybe too much time to play," Rune assessed. "But I think all in all we played on my terms and I'm happy with how I controlled most of the match," he added.
Holger Rune is through to the Round of 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time in his third appearance at the event.
The World No. 9 will be up against Matteo Berrettini in the third round. Berrettini defeated Francisco Cerundolo in three closely contested sets to book his spot against Rune.