Rune topples Thiem to reach Monte-Carlo sweet 16

Holger Rune advanced to the last 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time by taking out Austrian wildcard Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-4 at Monte-Carlo Country Club on Wednesday evening.

Rune, ranked No 9, will play the winner of the match between Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo and Italian Matteo Berrettini next.

The 19-year-old improves to 15-7 on the season after capturing his first career meeting with the former world No 3.

Rune saved both break points he saved and converted three breaks against Thiem. The Dane won the final four games of the opening set as he won 16 of the final 21 points to take charge, 6-2.

In the second set Rune broke critically for 4-3, converting his fifth break point of the game – he saved a pair of break points while serving out the match, wrapping up his victory in one hour and 36 minutes.

Thiem, ranked No 106, defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet (6-1, 6-4) in the previous round of the Monte-Carlo tournament.

Monte-Carlo Masters, other second-round results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 5.779.335, most recent results first):

• Francisco Cerundolo vs. Matteo Berrettini: wednesday
• Taylor Fritz (8) beat Stan Wawrinka (WC): 7-6 (10), 6-2
• Daniil Medvedev (3) beat Lorenzo Sonego (WC): 6-3, 6-2
• Karen Khachanov (9) beat Ilya Ivashka (Q): 7-6 (2), 6-2
• Jannik Sinner (7) beat Diego Schwartzman: 6-0, 3-1 ret.
• Jiri Lehecka beat Grigor Dimitrov: 7-6 (4), 6-4
• Lorenzo Musetti (16) beat Luca Nardi (Q): 6-0, 6-0
• Nicolas Jarry beat Alexei Popyrin (Q): 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
• Casper Ruud (4) beat Botic van de Zandschulp: 7-5, 7-6 (1)
• Jan-Lennard Struff (Q) beat Alex De Minaur (14): 6-3, 6-2
• Alexander Zverev (13) beat Roberto Bautista Agut: 6-4, 6-4
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (2) beat Benjamin Bonzi: 4-1 ret.
• Hubert Hurkacz (10) beat Jack Draper: 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5
• Novak Djokovic (1) beat Ivan Gakhov (Q): 7-6 (5), 6-2
• Andrey Rublev (5) beat Jaume Munar: 4-6, 6-2, 6-2