In a thrilling buildup to the BNP Paribas Nordic Open final in Stockholm, two of tennis’s rising stars, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud, are battling for crucial ATP Finals qualification points. Both players currently sit on the brink of securing a place in the prestigious year-end tournament, making their performances in Sweden all the more critical.
Holger Rune, the top seed, faced a challenging match against Argentina’s Tomás Martín Etcheverry, dropping the first set in a tightly contested tiebreak 6-7(4). However, he regrouped, showcasing his resilience to clinch the next two sets 6-3, 6-4, despite battling through a left thigh issue that necessitated a medical timeout in the final set. Rune’s victory marked his third semi-final appearance of the season, though he revealed post-match, “Not so good, honestly,” when discussing his injury. He expressed gratitude towards the crowd, stating, “I couldn’t have done it without all you great fans. I was really struggling with my left leg, but the energy was very special.”
Rune’s path to this stage was notable, as he racked up an impressive 59 winners, although he also registered 19 unforced errors in the first set alone. The young Danish player is set to face fourth-seeded Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals, who advanced after a hard-fought match against Lorenzo Sonego, triumphing 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-3.
On the other side of the draw, Casper Ruud, currently ranked just ahead of Rune at 12th in the Race standings, faced American Sebastian Korda. Ruud successfully navigated a two-hour and 30-minute battle, ultimately winning in another closely contested match that ended with a scoreline of 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4. The Norwegian star is keen to qualify for Turin for the fourth consecutive year and is now set to meet Canadian third seed Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals, who advanced by defeating Swedish player Elias Ymer with a score of 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1.
All four seeded players in the semi-finals point to a prestigious and competitive clash as the tournament progresses. The Stockholm event marks the second time this season that all four seeds will contest in the semi-finals, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament. As Rune and Ruud prepare for their matches, the tennis world eagerly anticipates who will secure crucial points in the race for the ATP Finals and claim the Nordic Open title.
