Holger Rune navigated a tricky match against Daniel Evans at the 2024 Roland Garros, winning it in straight sets.
Rune is one of the players capable of winning the clay-court major, but he'll need to play a lot better than he has played so far this year. The Danish player is a good clay player and certainly proved it in his first-round match against a tricky player who is not easy to face.
If you had to explain to somebody who doesn't know much about tennis Evans' style of play, you'd probably describe it as a mosquito. It can be annoying for opponents, it's persistent, and he never gives up.
That makes for a complicated matchup, but the 21-year-old handled it well, even when things went sideways in the final set. The first set was great from Rune. He came out confident, did what he had to do, and won it 6-4.
He didn't face a single break point, dominated on his serve generally, and blasted 15 winners in the opening set of the match. The second set also finished 6-4, but it was a bit more complicated.
Evans played about the same as in the first set, but Rune was a bit shaky overall. He didn't serve as well, and he certainly misfired more than usual, which made it somewhat close, but he saved the break points he faced and converted those he had, and that proved enough.
In the final set, Rune fell behind 2-4 but then came back furiously to win the set 6-4 and secure the second round with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory. Overall, it was a solid display from Rune, who kept it in three sets, which is what matters most.
Holger Rune vs Evans Match Stats:
| Holger Rune | 6-4 6-4 6-4 | Dan Evans |
| 8 | Aces | 2 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 5 |
| 59% | First Serve % | 49% |
| 75% (43/57) | Points Won After First Serve % | 69% (34/49) |
| 56% (22/39) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 52% (27/52) |
| 36% (4/11) | Break Point Conversion | 25% (1/4) |
| 44 | Winners | 21 |
| 35 | Unforced Errors | 21 |
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