Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune had to give up in the first round of qualifying for the Miami tennis tournament at the end of March. But the 91st player in the world is doing much better. He is even doing very well.
He changed surfaces, and he started his season on clay particularly well. This Saturday, he won the Sanremo challenger tournament. In the final he beat the Italian Francesco Passaro, 6/1-2/6-6/4. The meeting, which lasted two hours, ended at 1:15 p.m.
Details are important. Because the eighteen-year-old still had his work cut out at that point. As soon as the trophy ceremony was over, he had to leave. 42 kilometers away, another tournament awaited him.
After a one hour and ten minute drive, he arrived at the Monte Carlo tournament. A test of a whole new level, a Masters 1000, of which he must play the qualifications.
His first round was scheduled around 5 p.m. It arrived well in time. And he won 6/2-6/3, in one hour and nine minutes, against the Romanian Radu Albot.
Here is an unusual day, with a victory in Italy, and the start of another tournament, in another country (France, and not Monaco, since the courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club are on French territory).
Sunday will be, a priori, more relaxing, since Holger Rune will only have to play one game. He will face the American Maxime Cressyin the second qualifying round of the Monte-Carlo tournament.
