Queen’s: Rune reaches last eight engineering remarkable comeback
Holger Rune won against Mackenzie McDonald 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday evening. He’ll play Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round
Holger Rune, Queen’s 2025 | © Action Plus / PsNewz
Dane Holger Rune, the No 4 seed, won against American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the last eight of the Queen’s at Queen’s Club in London on Wednesday evening.
Rune, ranked No 9, will face Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut next. In the other quarter final of the lower draw, Jack Draper (No.2) will meet Brandon Nakashima.
Holger Rune produced a masterclass in resilience and adaptation on the grass courts of Queen’s Club, recovering from a dismal first set to overcome Mackenzie McDonald. Making his tournament debut, Rune looked out of sorts early on, struggling to find rhythm on serve and leaking errors from the baseline.
McDonald capitalized with sharp returns and aggressive positioning, claiming the first set comfortably in just over half an hour. Rune’s frustrations were evident as he failed to establish his usual intensity and precision.
Rune and the new grip
But in a swift and decisive move between sets, the 21-year-old Dane made a subtle yet impactful technical adjustment that flipped the match on its head. Speaking after the win, Rune revealed that he changed his racket grip and focused on stabilizing his serve — a part of his game that had completely deserted him early on.
“I wasn’t landing my first serves and it cost me rhythm,” Rune explained. “Once I found a better grip and got a few first serves in, everything started to feel more natural.”
The change paid immediate dividends. Rune stormed through the second and third sets, dropping just two games in total. His serve became a weapon, setting up easy points and allowing him to dictate play. With momentum fully on his side, McDonald had little response to the Dane’s newfound confidence and aggression.
What began as a troubling grass-court debut turned into a statement win for Rune, who demonstrated not only his athletic prowess but a growing maturity in solving problems mid-match — a trait that bodes well for his Wimbledon prospects.
London ATP 500, other second-round results (Queen’s Club, grass, EUR 2.522.220, most recent results first):
- Reilly Opelka vs. Arthur Rinderknech : Thursday
- Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jaume Munar: Thursday
- Jacob Fearnley vs. Corentin Moutet: Thursday
- Jiri Lehecka vs. Gabriel Diallo: Thursday
- Brandon Nakashima beat Daniel Evans (WC): 7-5, 7-6 (4)
- Jack Draper (2) beat Alexei Popyrin: 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
- Roberto Bautista Agut beat Jakub Mensik (8): 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
