Holger Rune eliminated from Australian Open
Holger Rune ended his Australian Open campaign, while Arthur Cazaux advanced to the next round. Cazaux, ranked 410th in the world, caused an upset by defeating the 8th-ranked player with a score of 7-6 (7-6), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. In the next round, Cazaux will face Talon Griekspoor. During the match, Serbian umpire Marijana Veljović officiated from the chair. She had some work to do, especially with Rune, who protested several times. In Melbourne, there are no line judges, as everything is computerized. At one point, Rune challenged a call despite both Veljović and the computer confirming it was a good shot. A few seconds later, it was confirmed that the shot was indeed good, highlighting Rune’s nerves. In contrast, Cazaux, playing on the prestigious Margaret Court Arena, seemed to be aware that he had nothing to lose. Winning the first set in a tie-break, he hinted at a potential upset. In the second set, he immediately broke Rune’s serve and took a 2-0 lead. Despite having a chance to do the same at the start of the third set, Cazaux did not allow it to happen. Rune had his only break point opportunities in the 10th game of the set and converted them, securing the set. It seemed like the start of a comeback for Rune, but Cazaux prevented it. He broke Rune’s serve in the first game of the fourth set and had two more opportunities in the third game, although he failed to convert them. However, he capitalized on the ninth game, breaking Rune’s serve once again and closing out the match.
