Saturday, March 15, 2025

Holger Rune

Press Conference

H. RUNE/D. Medvedev

7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Holger. How did you manage to win today?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, obviously I have a lot of respect for Daniil. He's a very difficult player to play. He makes you play uncomfortable shots. It's a very specific tactical plan that Lars and I made yesterday.

I tried to play as good as possible, making it difficult for him, trying to, you know, play different kind of shots to mix up the rhythm in the game.

I think I did it well. I stayed very patient, very composed mentally. I'm very happy to get through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Holger, in the past you have reached the final of a 1000, you have done well, and things then have been a little bit up and down. With respect, I say that. Do you think now by getting to this 1000 final that this could be the real catapult for you because of age, more maturity, and experience?

HOLGER RUNE: I mean, you know, I definitely feel that it's not just been a tournament where, you know, I closed my eyes and everything, you know, just went in.

I think I know, you know, how I managed to come this far in the tournament. It's something that I feel like I can play like this day in and day out. I'm not, as I said, you know, closing my eyes and hitting the lines on every shot that you can maybe do once per year. I feel like I'm definitely building the points, mixing up the tempo, grinding, finding solutions when they're tough. I really try to focus on what I can control, and I try to find a way to win really.

As I have said in almost every press conference that, you know, some days you wake up, you hit the ball better; some days you don't. Against Daniil we obviously trained a lot, and I find it way more difficult to play against him in match than training, because in training you're more relaxed and free on the shots, where in the matches there is more tension and he wants to make you overplay, and I think that's one of his strengths, also.

I think I found a good balance to still be aggressive but with control.

Q. The age factor for you? I mean, 21 now. You were so young two, three years ago when you were making your breakthrough. But how much of importance is that in really progressing? I'm talking generally, not specifically against one player.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it's important. I feel like a lot of the things I'm, you know, playing today was actually similar than I played him the first time in Monaco.

I think the thing is that I'm more experienced mentally, I think. I'm stressing less than I was back then. You know, I think I see things a bit more clear now than I did back then. Again, my level was also extremely high there. I mean, there is a reason why I made the final also.

Yeah, and I feel like I'm very clear in my mindset. I have to go for it. Also tomorrow, it's not going to be handed to me. It's a lot of work.

Q. You were talking just before about the very specific plan that you came up with. Can you explain sort of where that came from? I don't think a lot of us have ever seen you play that patiently before. Was the idea as simple as just sort of out-Daniil Daniil?

HOLGER RUNE: I mean, not really. It's the first time we have done this, but we had, like, a plan A and a plan B today (smiling).

The first plan, I don't want to go too much into details in case he's listening or something. It was to really play my game, come forward, take the ball on the rise. I thought it was difficult, because if you don't really feel the ball amazingly and if you hit hard to him, he likes the pace and he responds well to being in the defense and hitting strong back.

So, yeah, I tried to make it difficult for him. I tried to mix it up, making the shots, every shot that he has to play annoying for him. Slices, slow slices, some mixing the tempo, hitting hard on some, looping some.

It was very much also what I felt was working, you know. Yeah, there is definitely some things when he's far back to come to the net. Serve and volley was also great today.

I think a lot of things, but yeah, mostly I was clear mentally, and that made me find solutions.

Q. Can you do that against other players, do you think?

HOLGER RUNE: Definitely. I think I did it well against Griekspoor, as well, because things were not ideal in the first set, and I found solutions.

Today was a little bit of, you know, up and down first set. I got the break. He broke back. I was close to break him. I finally got the break. It was, like, difficult, but I thought that I was very clear on how I had to play the second set, more clear than on how to play the first set.

Again, if I broke him to 3-2 and then the first point I hit a great serve and he hit it back off the line on the return. So it's tough. He gets another good point, so it's Love-30.

It's small things maybe could have done it like a bit easier for me to maybe win the first set more comfortable. Again, Daniil is Daniil, and there is a reason why he's the ranking and the player that he is. He makes it very tricky it for you.

Q. How would you compare this tournament where not everything is perfect but under your control, how would you compare it with your Paris-Bercy week, was incredible? What is the most satisfying of both? Secondly, did you watch sometimes some highlights from Bercy '22 or you prefer...

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I have done that in the past, but again, not right now. It's different conditions. It's not going to play the same tennis here than in Paris.

But yeah, I feel like in Paris was different, almost lost the first round, managed to stay alive. Here it's different. I was more comfortable in the first round and second round and then third round was more tricky.

But I think again what I was good at in Paris was also to find a way to win every match. It was not easy at all. Both in the first round again Stan and in the final against Novak was really -- I had to dig deep, because I was down a break in the third and with Stan match points.

So, you know, I feel like it shows that, you know, I have had and I have the character now to find a way to win when it really matters.

Q. Don't know who you're playing next, but can you separately independently talk about each one first? If you can speak about playing Jack and then speak about playing Carlos?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, Jack and I played once last year in Cincinnati. It was very different conditions than here. Much faster surface.

Yeah, it was a good match for me. Again, he's gained a lot of confidence. He's been improving. He's a lefty. Great serve. I think he's been serving well this tournament. Yeah, he's gonna be excited. Looking forward if it's him.

If it's Carlos, it's going to be a different challenge. He's defending two-time champion here. Obviously he loves the conditions and he's a very explosive player.

Both matches going to have to take my chance and go for it. No matter who it's going to be, they're not going to hand it to me. I have to believe in myself and hopefully, yeah, find a way to win.