Google News Holger Rune reacts to Carlos Alcaraz being forced to retire their Paris match
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 12179
World No 18 Holger Rune said it was "unlucky" that Carlos Alcaraz was forced to retire their Paris Masters qiarterfinal match. Late in the second set, Alcaraz required a medical timeout for an abdominal issue. Four points into their second set tie-break, Alcaraz retired their match.
The score was 6-3 7-6 (3-1) in Rune's favor when Alcaraz retired the match. “I thought it was a great match. [It's] unlucky for him. I think we both played very well and I was super focused. It was an amazing crowd, amazing tennis, so I’m super pleased with how I handled everything today," Rune said, per the ATP website.
Rune happy with how he played versus Alcaraz
“Carlos is, if not the best, one of the best return players in the world. Of course, he is No. 1, so he is obviously the best in the world right now, but I’m super happy with how I handled all the things under pressure and how I handled also my return game.
I tried to play as aggressive as possible. Sometimes I missed a few shots but it was all worth it because at the end I was very good at important moments," Rune added. Rune started pressing Alcaraz's serve early on but he missed out on two break points in the second game.
After missing out on two early break points, Rune continued to press Alcaraz's serve and got the first break in the sixth game to open a 4-2 lead. Then, Rune held on to his serve the rest of the first set to win the opener.
In the second set, there were break points on each side but neither Rune or Alcaraz converted their break point opportunities. In the tie-break, Alcaraz won the opening point before Rune won the next three points to take a 3-1 lead. That was when Alcaraz decided to retire the match.