Rune comes within two points of defeat against Halys but advances to face Musetti
Rune takes five sets to defeat Quentin Halys 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
Holger Rune, Roland-Garros 2025 | © Julien Nouet / Tennis Majors
On Friday, Holger Rune became just the ninth player in the Open Era to reach the second week of Roland-Garros in each of his first four appearances. The stat highlights how comfortable the Mouratoglou Academy protégé is at the French Open, his most successful Grand Slam. But in the sweltering heat of Philippe-Chatrier, Rune had little interest in records as he battled his way, visibly relieved, past Quentin Halys.
Rune, seeded eighth, came within two points of defeat against the world No 53, eventually prevailing in a three-hour, 19-minute slugfest (4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2), a match that may have proven just a bit too long for Halys.
The Frenchman led two sets to one, and later 5-4, 15-30, then 30-all on Rune’s serve in the fourth set. But the Dane delivered two clutch serves: shots that, at least in those moments, left Halys little to regret. What will likely haunt Halys more is missing the chance to force a decisive tiebreak.
“I think the conditions today were good for him, Rune said afterwards. “It was very warm. The ball was flying fast through the air. It was difficult to break him, and at the end I just played much more freely and tried to go for my shots.”
I did pretty much everything according to plan. I couldn’t say I’m full of regrets right now.
Having already squandered a two-set lead against Rune at Wimbledon in 2024, Halys now has even more to reflect on as he continues to seek a breakthrough into the second week of a Grand Slam. So far, the third round remains his ceiling (Wimbledon 2023, 2024, and now Roland-Garros 2025), despite opening this year’s draw by pushing Tomas Machac to retire.
“No regrets,” Halys reacted. “Specifically it was similar to what happened in Wimbledon where I was on top of the first part of the match, then he was on top today. It was on and off. The momentum shifted from one player to the other. You can always regret a missed forehand or backhand. When it comes to the match as a whole, I am pretty happy with what I did. I did pretty much everything according to plan. I couldn’t say I’m full of regrets right now.”
Rune Made Things Difficult for Himself
Rune complicated his own task early on by adopting a passive approach in rallies, an attitude that left him vulnerable and allowed Halys to dictate. Thankfully for the Dane, he corrected course by the second set, showing greater intent and control.
He also missed a chance to lead two sets to one, failing to serve out the third set at 5-4 and missing two set points in the process. A flash of frustration, slamming down his towel, and a heated exchange with a spectator nearby nearly saw him lose his composure altogether.
But Rune regained his edge in time, especially by attacking Halys’ second serve, which proved too fragile (only 57 per cent first-serve percentage from Halys). Rune also found success with his backhand, including a stunning down-the-line winner on match point.
In the round of 16, Holger Rune will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, the tournament’s 10th seed. The matchup pits two of the clay season’s standouts against each other: Rune, the Barcelona champion, and Musetti, a finalist in Monte-Carlo and semi-finalist in both Madrid and Rome.
