Holger Rune vs Aleksandar Kovacevic: 2024 Mexican Open Acapulco - Preview & Prediction
ATP
Holger Rune started well at the 2024 Mexican Open in Acapulco, and he'll hope to keep it going against a tricky player who can do some damage, Aleksandar Kovacevic.
It's been a bizarre year for Rune so far because he's always been in the news, but seemingly for the wrong reasons. The tennis side of things has looked all shades possible, from terrible at the Australian Open to quite good at the Brisbane International, where he made the final.
Lately, though, there have been some concerns with his physical side as he dealt with some injuries in recent weeks. None of that was on show in the first match he played in Acapulco. He cruised comfortably, showing the good level he had the previous time he was there.
Kovacevic is a player that Rune will need to take seriously. The American had a lucky draw by getting a tired Jordan Thompson in the first round, and he used that to his advantage. Things will go quite differently against Rune, so let's see what might happen.
Head-to-head:
As Kovacevic mostly played on the ATP Challenger Tour, this will be the first time they play against each other. He's a rather typical American player with a powerful serve and a solid baseline play. That makes him somewhat dangerous in Acapulco, but Rune has a good antidote.
Very few players bring the same level of aggressiveness as the young Dane does. Everything he does on the court is offensive, and he'll likely be the one who actually goes for his shots in this matchup.
Prediction:
Being back with Patrick Mouratoglou, we kind of know how he'll play. He'll be gunning for those winners, and I don't see Kovacevic really hanging around.
A tired Jordan Thompson took a set off of him, and he's not the most offensive player. I struggle to picture Rune not being able to find a breakthrough here.
Prediction: Holger Rune to win in two sets.
