Rune returns with semi-final win at Open Markal Bourg-de-Péage

While many of the world’s best players decided to travel to Saudi Arabia to play in the Diriyah Tennis Cup this week, world No 11 Holger Rune chose to travel to France, the country where he won his first Masters 1000 title last month at the Rolex Paris Masters, to make his return to competition. 

The Dane played this Saturday in the semi-final of the Open Markal Bourg-de-Péage, an exhibition tournament located in the Rhône-Alpes region. Facing Alexander Bublik, who had beaten him in their only meeting this season at the Moselle Open (6-3, 5-7, 6-4), Rune took his revenge. 

The Rolex Paris Masters winner had no trouble on Saturday, winning 6-3, 6-2 against the world No 37, who had won his quarter-final match on Friday against Frenchman Mattéo Martineaux, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.

Rune to meet De Minaur or Debru

On Sunday December 11, Rune will face either the defending champion Alex de Minaur, against whom he has never lost in two matches, or the 16-year-old Frenchman Gabriel Debru, whom he has never faced on the ATP circuit.

The Markal Bourg-de-Péage Open also hosts a women’s exhibition tournament. On Sunday, the final will see title holder Katie Boulter, 136th in the world, up against Croatian Donna Vekic, ranked 69th.

You might also like this

Eye of the Coach #69: The Alcaraz-Rune generation and the Next Gen of Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Zverev will have a big battle

tennis majors

“In the morning, it was not like the other days” – how Holger Rune convinced himself that he could beat Djokovic

tennis majors