"I lost to him twice but I had a plan" Rune on beating Huesler for the first time
WTA
Holger Rune lost twice to Marc-Andrea Huesler, with one of those losses coming in a final, but he was determined to win this time, and it worked out in his favor.
Rune faced Huesler twice in his career. He lost to him on clay in Bastad in 2022 and then in indoor hard conditions in Sofia, also last year, which was a final of the ATP 250 event and a very painful loss for Rune.
He was motivated to get revenge, and he got a chance to do that when the two met at the 2023 Montpellier Open. The Danish player was able to win the match 7-6(5), 6-2, and after the match, he admitted he really wanted to record this win.
"I had a plan and I respect him a lot. I lost to him twice, but today I was super focused. I played well, aggressively, and stayed calm. I think I put a lot of first serves in."
"I was staying close to the baseline and trying to see every opportunity to come in and move him and play aggressively, and this worked pretty well."
Although tennis players naturally want to win every match they play, it's clear that Rune likely wanted to win this match much more than his opponent because of their previous two meetings.
The first set was relatively close, with both players having chances to take it. Huesler particularly missed out on two late break points, which could have turned the match upside down.
After winning the first set, Rune cruised in the second, being far more relaxed. After the match, he spoke about the conditions, which he really enjoyed.
"It was a good match, I started strong. I was ready for it, I was prepared that he was gonna play well. I like the surface, it suits me well, my game is very effective on indoor hard. It is a very nice arena. I like the conditions here, they suit me well."
