Argentine Mariano Navone takes out world No. 12 Holger Rune in straight sets to achieve the biggest win of his career, moving into his maiden quarterfinal at the Argentina Open on Thursday night.
Unseeded Mariano Navone showcased a solid performance in front of his home crowd to dismantle second seed Holger Rune 6-1, 7-6(2) in one hour and 42 minutes, setting up a quarterfinal final meeting with Brazilian Joao Fonseca at the IEB+ Argentina Open, staged in Buenos Aires.
Rune got off to a poor start to the opening set, striving to find his groove on the clay surface.
Meanwhile, Navone capitalized on his chances from the other side of the net, breaking early and extending his advantage to 3-0 within the first 15 minutes of their second clash on tour.
Seeking to progress into his first quarterfinal at tour-level on home soil, the Argentine player was as effective on the attack as on the defense, building upon momentum to dominate play.
The former world No. 4 added pressure in the fifth game, generating three break-point opportunities.
However, the local favorite did not hesitate, holding his nerve to fend off all three opportunities before earning a 4-1 lead.
The 23-year-old continued to dictate play, striking the ball cleanly off both wings.
A lengthy sixth game saw Navone converting a double break and backing it up to close the opening set 6-1 in 31 minutes.
He fired 11 winners to Rune just four, winning 70 percent of the points on his first serve.
A highly competitive second set soon would unfold, seeing the players going toe-to-toe in their battle to reach the last eight at the ATP 250 event.
The world No. 47 showcased his effective serve to stage a comeback from a 15-40 deficit to set the scoreboard two sets apiece with an ace, saving two break points in the process.
Lars Christensen’s pupil regrouped, finding the timing lacking on the forehand; he fired 10 winners to just four from his adversary and led 5-4.
The Dane played with aggression from the baseline, making the Argentine rally over 12 minutes before holding at 5-5.
In the 10th game, the 21-year-old was 0-30 up when a medical emergency in the stands stopped play.
As play resumed, the Gentofte native inched closer to pocket the game, surging to 0-40 up.
Nonetheless, his rival went the distance to steal three consecutive points, setting a battle at deuce, ultimately won by Rune to secure his place in a potential tiebreaker.
The home hope pushed forward to join the four-time ATP titlist in the tiebreak for the delight of the crowd present at the stadium on Court Guillermo Villas.
In the big moments, the player who last season went through qualifying to make his maiden appearance at the tournament stayed sharp behind his serve, proven pivotal on his path to wrap up proceedings 7-2, notching the biggest win of his career.
He showcased an excellent performance on serve, mastered his court coverage, and took his chances at the net throughout, delivering a solid performance to achieve his fifth ATP quarterfinal.
Last year’s Rio Open runner-up hit 19 winners against 13 unforced errors compared to Rune’s 20 and 29, respectively.
In addition, he converted two of three break points and won 76 percent of the points on his first serve, saving all five break points he faced across the contest.
On Monday, the Argentine prevailed over compatriot Francisco Comesana in straight sets to launch his campaign in Buenos Aires.
Next, he will face Brazilian Fonseca, who advanced to the last eight by beating Federico Coria in three sets in his tournament debut.
Navone leads Fonseca 1-0 in their series; their lone meeting dates back to last season in Rio de Janeiro when he beat the 18-year-old in three sets en route to the final.