BASTAD, July 14, 2021

Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune set a second-round clash at the Nordea Open in Bastad with top seed Casper Ruud from Norway. The 18-year-old from Denmark rallied from a set and a break down to overcome Radu Albot of Moldova 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 on Tuesday at the Bastad Tennis Stadium.

Rune, who became first ATP Tour quarterfinalist born in 2003 or later at the Chile Open in Santiago in March, converted five of his 12 break-point chances to prevail after one hour and 46 minutes.

“I was very nervous at the beginning, I had difficulties to find my level and he came out very strong but I kept fighting in front of this great crowd,” Rune said in an on-court interview.

The teenager added about his upcoming opponent: “Very difficult match for sure. I played him one time before (in Monte Carlo in April) and he kicked my ass,” said Rune and laughed. “There will be different conditions this time but it will be very tough. I am ready to fight.”

Emil Ruusuvuori also had to go the distance to beat Swedish wild card entry Mikael Ymer 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. The No. 8 seed from Finland won 69 per cent of his first-service points to secure victory in two hours and three minutes.

“It was a very difficult start for me. I was very slow getting into the conditions, and it was much slower than I thought,” Ruusuvuori said. “But slowly I got into it, and I just started playing smarter. Point by point, I felt like I was a little bit better. It was a tough fight in the end, and this time it came home so it was a good match in the end.”

Up next for Ruusuvori will be Norbert Gombos from Slovakia, who outlasted Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 after two hours and three minutes.

RESULTS TUESDAY

[Q] H. Laaksonen (SUI) d. [6] L. Musetti (ITA) 62 36 64

A. Molteni (ARG) / A. Vavassori (ITA) d. R. Albot (MDA) / D. Molchanov (UKR) 61 62

A. Begemann (GER) / A. Olivetti (FRA) d. R. Matos (BRA) / T. Monteiro (BRA) 63 26 10-1

[8] E. Ruusuvuori (FIN) d. [WC] M. Ymer (SWE) 16 64 63

R. Carballe Baena (ESP) / M. Cecchinato (ITA) d. [WC] C. Söderlund (SWE) / E. Ymer (SWE) (SWE) 62 64

N. Monroe (USA) / A. Vasilevski (BLR) d. R. Arneodo (MON) / I. Zelenay (SVK) 76(5) 64

S. Arendes (NED) / D. Pel (NED) d. L. Martinez (VEN) / A. Sitak (NZL) 61 64

[WC] F. Bergevi (SWE) / M. Eriksson (SWE) d. J. Nedunchezhiayn (IND) / P. Raja (IND) 57 63 10-6

[WC] H. Rune (DEN) d. R. Albot (MDA) 46 63 60

F. Coria (ARG) d. [Q] F. Cerundolo (ARG) 64 64

R. Carballes Baena (ESP) d. F. Bagnis (ARG) 62 64

[7] J.Vesely (CZE) d. S. Caruso (ITA) 63 62

N. Gombos (SVK) d. P Cuevas (URU) 16 76(4) 62

[Q] A. Rinderknecht (FRA) d. P. Sousa (POR) 61 61

P. Martinez (ESP) d. [Q] D. Novak (AUT) 75 61