Indian Wells: Rune stages epic comeback to upset Fritz

Indian Wells, March 14 (IANS) Seventh seed Holger Rune showcased his resilience and tenacity as he fought back from the brink of defeat to stun home favourite Taylor Fritz 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 to reach his fifth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Paribas Open.

The young Danish sensation saved a match point in a gripping encounter that left fans at Indian Wells on the edge of their seats.

Despite a slow start and a barrage of unforced errors in the opening set, Rune refused to buckle under pressure. With Fritz dominating the court with his first-strike tennis, Rune dug deep, staying focused and determined.

Facing a daunting match point at 4-5 in the second set, Rune summoned all his mental strength and delivered a clutch performance, capitalizing on a missed return from Fritz to stay alive in the contest. Energized by his newfound momentum, Rune seized control of the match, pushing Fritz to the limit with his aggressive baseline play.

The decider saw Rune maintain his aggressive stance, relentlessly attacking Fritz's second serve. In a pivotal moment, he secured the decisive break to surge ahead, claiming victory and sending shockwaves through the tournament.

Speaking after his remarkable comeback, Rune expressed his elation at overcoming adversity and praised his opponent's formidable game. Looking ahead to his quarter-final clash against fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, Rune remained unfazed, emphasizing his attacking mindset and determination to take on any challenge.

"It was crazy. Really just stayed in the moment, kept fighting," Rune said in his on-court interview. "Tried to play from point to point and I thought I managed to raise my level quite amazingly at the end of the second set.”

The World No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings brought the Indian Wells crowd alive with his energy and shotmaking as he levelled his Lexus ATP head-to-head series with Fritz at 1-1.

"He was controlling it from the first set and a long time of the second set as well. I'm just happy that I kept fighting and kept believing that I was going to find my rhythm at some point," said Rune, who hit 29 winners.

Rune will next meet fourth seed and last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev in the quarters, which will mark the Dane's first Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance outside of Europe. The pair split their first two meetings, which both were on clay.