Teenager Rune knocks out top seed Zverev in Munich

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev was overwhelmed in his first match in the Munich ATP tournament by 18-year-old Dane Holger Rune 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday. 

The German, ranked third in the world had been given a bye in the first round of a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018, but only lasted an hour and 39 minutes in his second-round match against the 70th-ranked Rune.

“It was my worst match in the last five, six, seven years,” said Zverev. “He’s a good player, but I would have lost to anyone today.”

Rune broke in the second game to lead 3-0. At 5-3 he had six set points. He squandered four set points on unforced errors in the ninth game. Then Zverev saved the fifth with a winner, before Rune converted the sixth by putting away a volley.

Rune again broke at once in the second set and broke again to lead 5-1. 

“He’s in the top three in the world and has been playing some unbelievable tennis,” Rune said in his on-court interview.  

“I obviously didn’t expect to win in two sets, and with a score like this. But it was a really hard match, we played a lot of rallies and I’m really happy about my performance.”

While Rune had won the opening match in each of his last four main-draw appearances, this was the first time this year he had won two matches in a row at an ATP tournament.

It was also the first time he had beaten a top-10 player.

Rune, who turns 19 on Friday, will meet Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, ranked 63rd in the world, in the quarter-finals.