Rune marches into last eight in Basel, Mpetshi Perricard denies Felix a third crown

  • Posted: Oct 24, 2024

Holger Rune continued his impressive run of form at the Swiss Indoors Basel Thursday with a statement victory against Dominic Stricker.

The fourth seed surged past the Swiss wild card 6-3, 7-6(2) in one hour, 27 minutes. Rune, who reached the final in 2022, bounced back from a break deficit in the second set to cruise to a lead he would not relinquish in the tie-break.

“It was a good level from my side in the first set, but I lost a little bit of focus in the second when he broke me,” said Rune, who improved to 9-2 in Basel. “He was playing pretty fast, rushing me, so I had to up my footwork and be more active with my legs.

“I just had to stay in there and find a solution, and I did. I connected with some returns, managed to get the break back and everything was open.”

The 21-year-old found success when advancing to the forecourt, winning 78 per cent (14/18) of points at the net, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Rune will next face lucky loser David Goffin, who produced an epic comeback to stun fifth seed Ugo Humbert on Wednesday evening.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was the man who put an end to Felix Auger-Aliassime’s emphatic run in Basel. The Frenchman overpowered the two-time defending champion with his explosive serving and crafty net play, sealing a 6-1, 7-6(6) victory.

 

Mpetshi Perricard won 87 per cent (13/15) of points behind his first delivery in a near-flawless first set before holding his nerve in a tense tie-break.

Auger-Aliassime, who lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2023, was bidding to become the first player born in 1991 or later to three-peat an ATP Tour event.

Mpetshi Perricard will meet Denis Shapovalov for a spot in the semi-finals. The Canadian showed glimpses of his most impressive tennis with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over Roberto Bautista Agut, putting an end to the Spaniard’s red-hot run of form that saw him clinch the title in Antwerp last week.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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