Holger Rune beat Albert Ramos Vinolas 7-5 6-4 to reach the second round at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.
Rune bounced back from the disappointment last week, when he was forced to withdraw from his opening match in Monte-Carlo due to food poisoning.
Rune saved two break points in the sixth game before breaking serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead. The Danish player served out at 15 to win the win the first set 7-5.
Rune converted his second break point in the first game of the second set and held serve at 15 to open up a 2-0 lead. Ramos Vinolas broke back on his second opportunity in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Rune broke a love in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The Danish player served out the win on his first match point.
Rune has achieved his first win since reaching the final at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, where he lost to Jack Draper.
Rune will face either this year’s Rio de Janeiro champion Sebastian Baez or lucky loser Damir Dzumhur.
“I did some things right, some things wrong today. I found it more difficult to get used to the clay courts this year. But I took the challenge and I was very pumped to get a good start after a tough week in Monaco. I’m happy to be feeling healthy, that’s an amazing feeling first of all. I’m not struggling with anything”, said Rune.
Andrey Rublev cruised past Dutch qualifier Jesper De Jong 6-1 6-3 after 64 minutes. Rublev went up a double break to race a 4-0 lead. De Jong pulled one break back in the sixth game at love. Rublev served out the first set 6-1 with a hold at 15.
Rublev broke twice in the fifth and ninth games to seal the second set 6-3. The 2025 Doha ATP 500 winner will face either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Stan Wawrinka.
“Today is the first match in a long time that I’ve felt really well. I was able to play really aggressively from the beginning. I was really lucky that I was able to win in straight sets, because I have known him this year. For me, I was preparing for a really tough match”, said Rublev.
Sebastian Korda came back from one set down to beat Matteo Arnaldi 3-6 6-3 6-2.
Arnaldi earned an early break to open up a 3-0 lead in the first set. The Italian player held on his next service games to win the first set 6-3.
Arnaldi went up an early break in the first game of the second set. Korda broke straight back in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Korda broke for the second time in the sixth game and saved a break-back point in the seventh game. The US player served out the second set with a hold at 30.
Korda earned an early break in the first game to take a 2-0 lead. Arnaldi was not able to convert his break-back point in the fourth game. Korda went up a double break in the seventh game and served out the win on his first match point.
