By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, February 11, 2023
French-born American Maxime Cressy cracked 15 aces topping top-seeded Holger Rune 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) to reach his fourth ATP final in Montpellier.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Forward thinker Maxime Cressy doesn't waste time dwelling on past defeats.
Winless in three prior meetings against Holger Rune, Cressy unleashed seismic serve and supple volleys toppling the top-seeded Dane 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) to reach his fourth ATP final in Montpellier.
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An unrelenting Cressy clubbed 15 aces, won 46 of 50 first-serve points and did not face a break point to match his biggest career win, by ranking, following his upset of world No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon first-round last summer.
Born in Paris, France, the 6'7" former UCLA standout drew energy from French fans in the closing stages today avenging a straight-sets loss to Rune at last month's Australian Open.
Afterward, Cressy who is singlehandedly keeping serve-and-volley tennis alive on the ATP Tour, said he shrugged off those losses.
"I was like three times doesn't matter; it's the past and it's not gonna dictate what's gonna happen today," Cressy said in his on-court interview. "Without you guys I wouldn't have gotten the win today. Thank you."
Raising his ATP semifinals record to 4-0, Cressy will play for his second career title and since since he captured the 2022 Newport title on grass when he faces Jannik Sinner in tomorrow's final.
World No. 51 Cressy has yet to play Sinner in a Tour-level match though the Italian beat the serve-and-volleyer in their lone prior meeting in a three-set Lexington Challenger match in 2019.
The second-seeded Sinner ended the inspired run of French wild card Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-2, in today's opening semifinal. Darren Cahill, Sinner's coach and a former serve-and-volleyer himself, was sitting courtside to scout this second semifinal and had to be impressed by Cressy's relentless commitment to moving forward.
"Jannik Sinner is an incredible player just like Holger Rune just like everyone else in the tournament," Cressy said. "Really, you just gotta bring your A game every time and I'm really looking forward to it.
"First ATP 250 final in France. I lived and grew up here I live here and I'm extremely happy."
The ninth-ranked Rune was 23-2 in his last 25 matches indoors, including his breakout run to the Rolex Paris Masters championship last fall, and playing for his fifth straight indoor final. Cressy had other ideas.
Sometimes scalding second serves as faster or faster than his first serve, Cressy continued to hold with control piling up pressure on Rune's serve games as the Dane served from behind in the opening set.
Serving at 5-6, Rune blinked hitting a couple of double faults. Running around his backhand to hit a forehand, Rune exposed a wide swath of court and Cressy cracked a clean backhand winner down the line for set point.
Blocking back a return, Cressy opened the court then closed the 46-minute opener with a crosscourt forehand winner.
Launching up and out into the court, Cressy threw down his 12th ace sealing a love hold for a 3-2 second-set lead.
Meanwhile, Rune stayed in step taking care of his own serve with control throughout the set.
Rune swept a forehand pass winning the rare point on the towering American's serve in the seventh game and waving his arms exhorting fans to make more noise and make Cressy feel stress. Instead, Cressy clubbed his 13th ace edging ahead 4-3.
Still Rune did not panic. Rune ripped a forehand pass crosscourt to start the second-set tiebreaker with a mini-break. A slick running Rune forehand pass down the line extended the line to 4-0. Rune rocketed an ace out wide to snatch the second set and force a third.
In the opening game of the final set, Rune opened a small cut on his right knee and stopped play to call for the trainer to treat it. Rune shook it off and stayed in front.
Deadlocked at 4-all, 30-all, Rune dug in and repelled everything Cressy through at him dodging a dilemma when the big man pasted a backhand down the line into net. That tense hold put Rune ahead 5-4.
Opening the tiebreaker with a sharp-angled backhand to set up a forehand volley winner, Cressy gained the mini break. The 6'7" serve-and-volleyer bent low and carved a fine drop volley winner for 2-0.
Consistently blasting big first serves, Cressy made his fourth straight first serve and blocked a high forehand volley for 5-2. Cressy angled a short slice backhand to lure Rune forward then banged his backhand pass down the line for match points at 6-3.
On his second match point, Cressy slashed a wide serve to seal a two hour, 40-minute victory.