Djokovic took the opening set 6-1 but suffered a let down in the second, losing it in a tiebreak. Seeing the young Dane offering stiff resistance to the World No. 1, the crowd began throwing their weight behind Rune.
Certain sections of the crowd also heckled Djokovic at every opportunity. The Serb’s errors were met by loud cheers from the spectators and many, including Djokovic himself, felt he was being booed.
However, many in attendance, including several journalists, confirmed that that was not the case and that the crowd was simply chanting “Rune”, which sounded like “boo” in the packed stadium.
Rune himself admitted that he was initially left perplexed as he felt the crowd was cheering him on at certain stages and booing Djokovic at others.
But the Dane revealed he had a clearer understanding of the scenario after the match. As such, he expressed his delight at being cheered on by the crowd, adding that it was the “best” he had ever felt in his life.
Rune said he tried to spur on the crowd by putting his heart and soul into every point, and stressed that he “couldn’t have asked for more” in return.
You really want to hold your serve because if Novak Djokovic hits his spot, it’s tough to break him: Holger Rune
During the press conference, Holger Rune was asked how he felt about playing an opponent like Djokovic. The Dane pointed out that the Serb is extremely consistent and seldom gives away cheap points.
The 18-year-old further stressed that Djokovic puts a lot of pressure on his opponent’s service games with his extraordinary return. Rune explained that Djokovic has the ability to run away with his own service games, making it all the more important for his opponent to hold serve.
The Dane, who could barely move in the final two sets due to physical issues, believes he would have had a shot at beating Djokovic if he was fully fit.
0 votes
