Fourth seed Holger Rune edged past Dominic Stricker 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in 1 hour and 27 minutes at the Swiss Open in Basel. Rune reached the final in Basel in 2022.
Rune earned his first break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and held serve to consolidate it for 4-1. The Danish player served out to love in the ninth game.
Stricker earned his first break in a six-deuce sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and consolidated it with a hold at love for 5-2. Rune broke back on his third break point in the ninth game and held serve at 30 to draw level to 5-5. Rune earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2 to set up a quarter final against David Goffin.
“I just had to stay in there and find a solution and I did. I connected with some returns, managed to get the break back and anything was open”, said Rune.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard upset two-time defending champion Felix Auger Aliassime 6-1 7-6 (8-6). Auger Aliassime saved four break points to hold serve a third-set second game. Mpetchi Perricard broke twice in the fourth and sixth game to win the first set 6-1. The second set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Auger Aliassime went up a 4-2 lead in the tie-break, but Mpetchi Perricard earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 8-6.
