French Open 2023: Holger Rune wins five-set thriller to book quarter-final against Casper Ruud

Sixth seed Holger Rune survived an error-strewn, eventful, five-set thriller with Francisco Cerundolo to set up an all-Scandinavian French Open quarter-final against Casper Ruud.

The Dane triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-4 1-6 7-6 (10-7) on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Ruud earlier also had to work hard to beat Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-5.

The 2022 Roland Garros runner-up, 24, was given a stern test by the unseeded Chilean over three hours and 22 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

But that was nothing compared to the examination endured by Rune on his way to securing a rematch with the man who beat him at the quarter-final stage last year.

In Monday’s evening session, Alexander Zverev, the 22nd seed from Germany, outclassed Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-4 6-3.

Zverev, 26, will face world number 49 Tomas Martin Etcheverry after the Argentine beat 27th seed Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 7-6 (10-8) 6-0 6-1 to make the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Etcheverry, 23, is the only player apart from Novak Djokovic yet to drop a set in the men’s tournament this year.

“I told myself to relax’ – Rune digs deep to win

Rune was pegged back from 5-2 up in the opening set but eased through the tie-break, only to cough up an early break in the second that enabled Cerundolo to level.

The fourth game of the third set was filled with controversy as umpire Kader Nouni missed a double-bounce on Rune’s side and issued a controversial hindrance call against Cerundolo, who had stopped, expecting to be awarded the point.

The seething Argentine told the official he “had made a huge mistake” after Rune capitalised on the break point handed to him to break serve – and, despite dropping his own serve, the Dane broke again at 5-4 up to clinch the set.

Rune complained of dizziness early in the fourth set, calling a trainer midway through, and Cerundolo capitalised comprehensively to send the match into a decider.

Both players traded breaks near the end of the fifth, Rune broken as he was serving for the match as the rollercoaster affair went, almost inevitably, to a champions’ tie-break.

That was equally turbulent, swinging one way then the other, including a Rune reflex drop-shot volley at the net that left both players smiling, before the Dane eventually prevailed.

“I had a heart-breaking loss in Australia where I had the situation where I could serve for the match and lost and ended up in a tie-break like this,” Ruud said in his on-court interview.

“I told myself to relax, play tennis and enjoy because moments like this stay with you whether you win or you lose – you just go and enjoy, try to play your best and I enjoy every moment.”

The match was the second marathon on Suzanne-Lenglen on Monday after Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in an epic that lasted just shy of four hours.

Ruud pushed hard by in-form Jarry

Jarry had never won a match at Roland Garros before this year, suffering three first-round exits, but the 6ft 6in South American proved a far more obdurate obstacle for Ruud than a straight-sets defeat suggests.

Ultimately, Ruud’s experience on the big stage told as he won the key points at the key moments including a first-set tie-break in which Jarry’s shot selection let him down on more than one occasion.

The world number four, beaten by 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in last year’s finalcame from 4-1 and break point down to take the second set, helped by Jarry netting an overhead smash at set point.

Jarry, who beat Ruud in three sets on his way to the Geneva Open title last month, broke serve in the third set too but gifted the break straight back and lost his serve again at 5-5 before the Norwegian served out victory.

“I felt physically fine – I was ready for more if we had to play more,” Ruud said in his on-court interview following the victory.

“I was down a break in both the second and the third sets but I was able to stay in and neutralise his serve and win the most important points of the match.”