ATP Miami: Alcaraz and Rune - two different worlds
While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz confidently advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, Holger Rune showed some gaps in the game.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Mar 29, 2023, 07:54 am
First of all, it should be noted: Holger Rune is of course also a player who is definitely worth the entrance fee, with whom one is curious about what happens next. German tennis fans will soon be able to get a live picture of the young Dane in Munich, where Rune will be the defending champion. And it's profoundly unfair to compare someone to Carlos Alcaraz just because they happen to be in the same age group as the Spaniard. because Simone Vagnozzi, Jannik Sinner's coach, said a few days ago, not without reason, that Alcaraz is further along in terms of play than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were at the age of 19.
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Nevertheless, on Tuesday it was almost a matter of making a direct cross-comparison between the two youngsters. Because Alcaraz and Rune were scheduled one after the other at Hard Rock Stadium, in the round of sixteen at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami. And this comparison showed first and foremost how far Carlos Alcaraz has come. And how much Holger Rune still has to learn.
For example, appearing on the court. While Rune grumbled in the direction of his box in the second game of his game against Taylor Fritz, Alcaraz's emotions throughout his match against Tommy Paul were exclusively positive. Even if a ball didn't go as well as the Spaniard imagined.
Alcaraz can do everything a little bit better
Then the footwork: almost flawless at Alcaraz, hardly a ball that the current world number one was not good at. Rune, on the other hand, let himself be surprised time and time again by a by no means good playing Taylor Fritz and had to make do with emergency shots.
And then there's the percussion repertoire. Holger Rune can accelerate the ball with his forehand, which is no fun for his opponents. The first serve also has a lot of steam. And Rune showed impressively last year in Munich against Alexander Zverev that he is no novice when it comes to stops. But Carlos Alcaraz can do all that a little better. And has a better second serve. And the more solid backhand.
Nothing bad, Holger Rune is already among the ten best players in the world. And on a good day he can probably win against Carlos Alcaraz (in Paris-Bercy last autumn it happened - Alcaraz had to give up). However, Tuesday in Miami showed that there is still a very deep gulf between these two exceptional talents.
Here is the individual tableau in Miami
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