Munich – Danish tennis youngster Holger Rune has won his first ATP title in Munich. The 19-year-old benefited from the retirement of his Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in the final at 3:4 in the first set.
In the round of 16, Rune had won against top favourite Alexander Zverev. Van de Zandschulp had first taken a 4:1 lead and then dropped two games in a row. At 4:3, he had the tournament doctor come, kept grabbing his chest and then left the court. On his return, he played four more points before giving up and leaving the court immediately.
“I had breathing problems and it was impossible to play. 30 minutes after I gave up everything was already ok again,” the Dutchman wrote on Twitter in the evening.
For Rune, the title is the biggest success of his young career so far. The Dane is considered one of the hottest tennis talents on the tour and has risen more than 250 places in the world rankings in the last twelve months. “I have played incredible tennis. My first ATP title in front of such a great crowd. I couldn’t be happier right now. “
