By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 23, 2022
Nineteen-year-old Holger Rune topped top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to collect his second career title at the Stockholm Open.
Photo credit: Getty
Stockholm is a city of serenity.
Holger Rune channeled crackling strikes with calm commitment to claim Stockholm supremacy.
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The 19-year-old Rune toppled top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to collect his second career title at the Stockholm Open.
Rune joins world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz as the second teenager to win multiple ATP titles this season.
The Danish teenager, who did not drop a set winning his maiden title on the red clay of Munich last April, did not surrender serve in his one hour, 31-minute sweep.
The defeat continues an inexplicable streak of futility for Tsitsipas in 500-level finals. The owner of nine ATP titles, Tsitsipas fell to 0-10 in ATP 500 finals.
The 2018 Stockholm champion Tsitsipas suffered his first career loss at the event.
This victory vaults Rune to a career-high No. 25 in the ATP Live Rankings.
The seventh-seeded Rune beat Tsitsipas for the second time in as many meetings.
Last May, driven Holger Rune took a historic trek across the terre battue shocking Tsitsipas 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to become the first Danish man to reach the Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Playing with poise in just his third career Grand Slam appearance, Rune overcame closing jitters and the 2021 French Open finalist to make history as the first Danish man to advance to the last eight in a major since Jan Leschly did it at the 1967 US Championships.
Carrying confidence into today's rematch, Rune consistently targeted the lanky Greek's one-handed backhand.
Rune broke in the third game of both sets. The Danish baseliner backed up the break with a love hold for 3-1 opening-set lead. Rune dropped just four points on serve the rest of the set to take a one-set lead.
Though Rune does not exactly possess John Isner dominance on serve, he has served with variety and control against Tsitsipas.
In the six sets vs. Tsitsipas, Rune has dropped serve just three times. The teenager served 10 games today and Tsitsipas only got to deuce once in those 10 games.
Tsitsipas tried deploying the drop shot, but it sat up. Rune raced forward and dispatched the dropper holding firm for 5-3.
Rune slid a backhand down the line for two championship points.
When Tsitsipas put a backhand into net, Rune sealed his second title. The teenager celebrated blowing a kiss to his box and embracing Tsitsipas at net.