Holger Rune didn't have easy time on the court in his first-round match against Yoshihito Nishioka at the 2024 Australian Open, but he prevailed in four sets.
The young Dane faced a challenging opponent in the first round of his Australian Open campaign, as the Japanese player proved capable of surprising many higher-ranked players on the ATP Tour, and the eighth-seeded Rune was another one he wanted to surprise.
But in the first set of the match, Rune, who spoke highly of the defending champion Novak Djokovic ahead of the tournament, didn't allow any surprise, breaking his opponent's serve two times and winning the set easily, 6-2.
But it was in the second set, when Nishioka stepped up and started showing why he managed to beat the likes of Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, but also his opponent in Melbourne, Rune, in the past.
The Japanese player was just a better player in the second set, in which both players had multiple chances. Eventually, Nishioka used his better, winning the second set 6-4 and securing at least four sets against the Dane.
The third set proved to be crucial in this match. Both players had only one break point in it, and after neither of them used it, the set had to be decided in the tie-break.
Rune handled the tie-break much better, winning it 7-3, and he took the winning momentum also into the fourth set, starting with a break, which would prove to be decisive in the match.
Nishioka couldn't find an answer to his opponent's break, as Rune held his serve comfortably and won the match in four sets 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with Arthur Cazaux, who overcame Laslo Djere in a challenging five-setter.
Holger Rune vs Yoshihito Nishioka Match Stats:
| Holger Rune | Yoshihito Nishioka | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Aces | 4 |
| 5 | Double Faults | 4 |
| 64% | First Serve % | 61% |
| 77% (66/86) | Points Won After First Serve % | 69% (57/83) |
| 59% (29/49) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 50% (26/52) |
| 27% (3/11) | Break Point Conversion | 14% (1/7) |
| 71 | Winners | 32 |
| 55 | Unforced Errors | 41 |
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