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Miomir Kecmanovic earned his first Prime 10 win since final season in Miami with a dominant show in opposition to Holger Rune on the BNP Paribas Nordic Open. The Serbian knocked off the highest seed and defending Stockholm champion 7-6(3), 6-2, dealing Rune his second opening-round defeat in as many weeks to advance to the quarter-finals.
“I believed I performed fairly properly immediately after a protracted interval this 12 months,” stated Kecmanovic, who was 0-5 in opposition to the Prime 10 this season previous to the win. “I am very completely happy. It means loads to lastly have the ability to play like this.
“It makes it particular [to beat the World No. 6]. I used to be shut with another [top] guys this 12 months however I am completely happy that I used to be lastly in a position to do it.”
Into the quarter-finals 🙌@MioKecmanovic upsets the No. 1 seed, Holger Rune, 7-6 6-2 in Stockholm!@sthlm_open | #StockholmOpen pic.twitter.com/erz2jZ5OnF
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 18, 2023
Kecmanovic snapped an 11-match dropping streak in opposition to Prime 10 opposition to enhance to 4-17 in opposition to gamers of that standing in his profession. Previous to Wednesday’s end result, his most up-to-date Prime 10 win got here in opposition to Felix Auger-Aliassime in March 2022 in Miami.
For Rune, who additionally exited final week’s Rolex Shanghai Masters within the first spherical, the defeat is a blow to his bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the primary time. The Dane at present occupies eighth place within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Race To Turin, however his place within the ultimate qualifying spot is underneath menace this week from Taylor Fritz, who’s bidding to defend a title of his personal in Tokyo.
Rune was annoyed by Kecmanovic’s aggressive but regular play on Stockholm’s centre courtroom. The Serbian completed with 19 winners and simply 5 unforced errors, and he transformed on all three of his break factors within the second set after lacking out on 5 within the opening set. Rune ripped a return winner to interrupt within the opening recreation of set two, however was instantly damaged again and by no means rediscovered his greatest kind down the stretch.
Within the lone three-set singles match of the day in Stockholm, Gael Monfils edged Marton Fucsovics 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 within the opening spherical. The Frenchman, cheered on by his mom and his spouse, Elina Svitolina, hit 27 winners within the victory and closed out the end result with a break within the ultimate recreation. Monfils saved two break factors at 3-3 within the ultimate set and later noticed two match factors go begging on return at 5-4.
“I used to be very completely happy. Marton is an excellent participant, all the time a difficult opponent,” the 37-year-old stated post-match. “[I had to] simply imagine that I’ll win and attempt to keep constructive, play my recreation.
“Clearly I used to be working fairly good and hitting large balls. It was slightly little bit of a battle at the start to impose my energy after which I felt I used to be doing it fairly good.”
Monfils will subsequent meet Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic for a spot within the quarter-finals.
Third seed Tallon Griekspoor was one in all 4 gamers to advance to the quarters with Wednesday triumphs. He defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6(3), 6-4 to arrange assembly with Pavel Kotov, a 6-4, 7-5 winner in opposition to Lorenzo Sonego. Laslo Djere additionally moved on to the quarters by beating J.J. Wolf 7-5, 6-4.
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