Holger Rune made a return to the conversation on Saturday as the Dane secured a spot in his first Masters 1000 final since late 2022, defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4 at Indian Wells for his 150th ATP win..
Rune, 21, is assured of a fellow young gun as his Sunday finals opponent, with Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz – both born in the 2000s – meeting in the second semi-final in the Californian desert.
Rune delivered a solid performance to deny fight seed Medvedev a third consecutive final at the event – both of which he lost to Alcaraz..
Rune earned victory as he set up a match point after a 38-shot rally and finished off with a winner to the open court a point later after just over 90 minutes.
The Dane has lost his last seven Tour semi-finals and is now into the 10th final of his career. He owns the Masters title from Paris Bercy three seasons ago.
“This means everything,” the winner said. “But the job is not over yet. It does feel amazing for sure.
“Daniil is one of the toughest guys on Tour. We knew each other very well, so I knew it would be difficult.”
Ruud claimed the opening set with a break in the penultimate game and won a dozen consecutive points to earn a 3-1 lead in the second on his way into the title match.
“I had the right tactics, he’s super-solid,” Rune said. “I’m very proud of myself. I was able to find the right rhythm and I stayed composed until the end.”
Rune had lost his previous two matches to the 29-year-old Medvedev. The Dane said he hopes to stay “focused and composed” in the final.
He last played for a trophy at Brisbane in January, 2024.
