Holger Rune delivers a show whenever he's on the court, and he gave the crowd in Tokyo the show they wanted, destroying his racket during his semi-final match against Arthur Fils.
The young Dane was facing Fils in the 2024 Japan Open semi-final, and it was an intense match. Both of these players had played really well so far at the event and went head-to-head in a match that sent the winner to the final.
Clearly, with the stakes so high, the emotions were as well, and they certainly built up over the first set. It was particularly intense, and both players were giving it their all. It was high-level tennis, but eventually, as always happens, only one player could walk away from that set as the winner.
Rune had more trouble in general, as he barely made it to the tie-break. In the tie-break, the Dane got extremely lucky, down 5-6, when Fils had a set point. The French player hit an incredible forehand after which he had a slam dunk smash at the net, but his previous shot was called wide but overruled by the chair umpire, which meant that the point had to be replayed.
He was well on his way to win the point and the set, so it was a hugely significant umpiring mistake that almost cost the Frenchman the set. That bad luck came back as he hit the tip of the net on another point, which helped him win the tie-break in the end.
Rune's frustration boiled over at that moment when Fils won the set, and he absolutely obliterated his racket, smashing it several times into the ground. He then actually threw it into the net and never recovered it until it was handed to him by the ball kid.
Rune ultimately gave it to a spectator, but it just signaled a tough moment for him. He's had an unremarkable season so far, with not many great results, so a run like this was vital for him.
Failing to make the final was painful, as he badly wanted it, and it was obvious in the way he played this match. Still, Rune was never known as this superbly calm player, and that showed as well.
He always played with a lot of energy and passion, and at times, things can boil over. He's also not been any stranger to controversy, as he's had a couple of these very bizarre moments in the past.
Destroying rackets isn't anything new for him either, or for tennis in general, and it's been very accepted in recent times. Back in the day, it was looked down upon, but that view changed significantly.
Showing emotion is good, but being reckless and careless is not. This racket smash signaled a lot of passion from Rune, which is certainly good to see.
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