Holger Rune edges Van de Zandschulp to defend Munich title

Rune, who won his fourth tour-level title, managed to save four championship points and recover from twisting his ankle before dominating the tie-break.

Holger Rune of Denmark celebrates after winning the final match against Botic Van De Zandschulp in Munich. | Photo Credit: AP

Holger Rune defended his title at Munich Open, an ATP250 event, with a hard-fought 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(3) win over Botic van de Zandschulp in the final on Sunday.

Van de Zandschulp retired from last year’s final with an aching chest and the 19-year-old Rune was made to work significantly harder to retain the title, eventually sealing the win after nearly three hours of play.

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Rune, who had previously never lost a set at the Munich event, had a problem with his upper right arm in the third set, but he managed to save four championship points and recover from twisting his ankle before dominating the tie-break.

It’s Rune’s fourth tour-level title. He became the first player to successfully defend an ATP Tour title in 2023. 

“I was feeling really exhausted but I was fighting until the end and I tried everything I could to come back into the match,” Rune told atptour.com after the win. “I think for the crowd it was the perfect final. We really pushed each other to the limit and I am super happy I defended the title today.”