Holger Rune reached the semi-finals at the 2024 Japan Open, but after the match, he was very critical of the ATP.
The young Dane found a really good level in Tokyo, as he already reached the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament. With his first win at the Japan Open, Rune ended his three-match losing streak, and he quickly turned it into a three-match winning streak with his run to the semi-final.
In his quarter-final match, he bested home-crowd favorite, Kei Nishikori, winning 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, but he didn't have to battle only his opponent and the crowd, but also a new rule.
Like every sport, tennis is trying to evolve every day, bringing different innovations that make the sport more appealing. Sometimes, that includes also a try-out of new rules, and one such has been implemented this week at both the China Open in Beijing and the Japan Open in Tokyo.
The rule in question is the automatic shot clock, which starts immediately after the rally is over, as opposed to after the umpire calls the score, which has been the case before.
Sometimes, the rallies extend quite a bit, and those lengthy rallies are usually the most demanding but also spectacular. As a result, fans often shower the players with long applause, which means that previously, they had more time to recover after long rallies.
However, with the new rule, the shot clock starts immediately after the rally ends, and some players are having big trouble with that. Carlos Alcaraz has been one of them, as he received two time violations in one game at the China Open.
The Spaniard criticized the rule after that, and his young rival, Rune, now joined him in criticism, as he didn't hold back following his win over Nishikori.
"Yeah to be honest, this new time rule is a joke like, we players have no time. I’ve seen other players getting time violation. It’s super stressful like, basically if you finish a volley on top of the net, you have like basically 19 seconds to get back."
Despite complaining and criticizing the rule, Rune also showed the trait of a champion. He stated that despite the rule making it difficult for him on the tennis court, he can't feel sorry for himself and has to accept the conditions, as they are the same for both players.
"So, it’s super stressful but I'm just trying to deal with it as good as possible. I can’t feel sorry for myself, i just need to find a way and accept that that’s a rule, so move on."
The 21-year-old was also very complimentary of his opponent, Nishikori, who is one of the legends of the sport.
"His ball striking and feel on the ball was incredible and it was very challenging for me. I had to find another gear to be able to beat him and it was almost not enough, but I managed to find that level and find that fighting spirit to beat him."
Up next in the semi-finals of the tournament, he will play against Arthur Fils, who eliminated the defending champion, Ben Shelton.
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