Novak Djokovic beats Holger Rune in Paris-Bercy: the highlights

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Novak Djokovic avenged last year's final loss at the Rolex Paris Masters, beating Holger Rune (with Boris Becker alongside him) in the 2023 quarter-finals and reaching the semi-finals in Paris-Bercy. The Serbian champion took his personal revenge against Holger Rune, the tennis player who prevented him from winning the trophy in Paris-Bercy in 2022, winning a real battle that lasted almost three hours.

Impressive numbers recorded by the Serbian since Roland Garros, because he has won 29 of the last 30 matches. The only one to beat him was Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. A statistic that expands when taking into consideration the matches played on hard courts this year: the updated record announces a significant 31-1, with Nole having only lost against Daniil Medvedev in Dubai.

Thanks to the 7-5, (3) 6-7, 6-4 given to the new player of his former coach Boris Becker, Djokovic will have the chance to play the semifinal number nine in Paris-Bercy and will wait for one between Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur.

Both used the first twenty minutes of the match to analyze the tactics chosen by their respective opponent and sharpen their skills in service. Rune decided to be aggressive, often trying to get out of rallies with a winning shot, while Djokovic tried to lengthen the maneuver to get into synergy with his tennis.

Neither of them was in particular trouble and, despite some intense exchanges, they offered no opportunities. The turning point came with a disruptive impact at 6-5 in favor of the Serbian. The Dane, forced to take advantage, sent the forehand into the net with little luck and granted the first chance.

Novak Djokovic beats Holger Rune in Paris-Bercy: the highlights

Djokovic didn't hesitate for even a second and pushed hard, finishing at the net with a dangerous volley that ended on the line. Rune had never lost serve since the start of the tournament.

The second set of the game saw Djokovic experience a brief empty pass, not so short as to allow him to keep the serve at 1-1. The Serbian committed a double fault and misjudged his forehand. Rune was not quick enough to understand the moment and presented the immediate counter break on a silver platter.

At 5-4, after a long controversy for a Hawk-Eye awarded late to Rune, Djokovic earned a match point. The Dane did not lose his composure and shot a first match that was as energetic as it was effective. This time, the tie-break oracle did not say Djokovic.

Rune showed great personality and dominated from the first to the last point. A fantastic lob, difficult to even imagine, allowed the Serbian to reach 15-40 in the third game. Djokovic repeated the shot on the break point and disoriented Rune, who lost his bearings and sent his forehand meters beyond the baseline. A break that ended up making the difference. Below the highlights shared by the Tennis TV YouTube page.