This fifth day of competition smiles on the Tricolores. After Clara Burel’s victory against the world number 5 in the women’s table, Arthur Cazaux also scored a top 10 on Thursday January 18. The young Frenchman (21 years old), 122e in the ATP rankings and beneficiary of an invitation to the Australian Open, achieved the feat of beating the Dane Holger Rune, seeded number 8, in four sets (7-6, 6-4, 4-6 , 6-3) and 3 hours and 22 minutes of play.
In a contested first round – the two players did not concede any break points – the Montpellier native made the difference in the deciding game. With confidence, he then took the Dane’s serve from the start and won the second set. In the third round, the world number 8 was more solid in the important points, while the Frenchman made more direct errors (10). The fourth set turned to Cazaux’s advantage, solid on first ball (18 aces over the entire match) and resistant to long rallies.
“It was a crazy match, a big fight against a player I have known for a very long time, explained the Frenchman after the meeting, during an interview with a refreshing tone. I gave everything I had. Tennis is a spectacle and this was a beautiful spectacle! I’m super happy, the atmosphere was crazy. »
An old acquaintance
It was not the first time that the two adversaries of the day had faced each other. Their last confrontation ended in a victory for the Dane, in 2019, in the second round of Roland-Garros junior (6-4, 6-3). Among the youth, Arthur Cazaux often took the advantage over Holger Rune, winning five of their six clashes.
But the two players experienced reverse trajectories. Cazaux accumulated injuries while Rune climbed the world rankings, reaching number 4e place in the ATP rankings in August 2023. Before the meeting, Arthur Cazaux had only won two matches on the main circuit. Holger Rune reached the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in 2023 and won at Paris-Bercy in 2022.
Despite these initially unsuccessful careers, it was the Frenchman’s tennis that won out this Thursday, January 18. A new feat on the part of the Habs in this 2024 Australian Open. In the first round, he defeated the Serbian Laslo Djere, world number 33, in five sets and 3 hours and 26 minutes of play. In the third round, the Montpellier resident will challenge the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, 31e world, who eliminated Frenchman Arthur Fils earlier in the day (6-3, 1-6, 5-7, 4-6).