US Open: Rune knocked out by Carballes Baena in biggest upset of the day
Roberto Carballes Baena stunned Holger Rune 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. He’ll play the winner of the match between Russian Aslan Karatsev and Jiri Lehecka in the next round
Chryslène Caillaud / Panoramic
In a turn of events few predicted, Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena has reached the second round of the US Open by overcoming the fourth seed Holger Rune, beating the Dane 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
It is a huge upset on the opening day of the year’s final Grand Slam, coming hot on the heels of another toppled seed in the form of Alexander Bublik, and one that leaves a gaping hole in the quarter of the draw the young Dane occupied. There were three more seeds who exited on Monday including 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti and 31st seed Sebastian Korda.
Rune never quite seemed himself and appeared to be struggling to some extent with a knee injury, for which he required a medical time-out.
I never consider not to play tournaments even though I’m hurt.
Holger Rune
“I never consider not to play tournaments even though I’m hurt” Rune said when asked whether he plays through injuries to his own detriment.
“I mean, of course I know if it’s something dangerous I will not play. But also, I’m the kind of person I don’t check everything if I’m hurt. I don’t get a scan every time I feel something.”
Having expressed his displeasure at being placed on one of the outside courts for his opening match, Rune’s mood will not have improved following a display that was far from the standard he is capable of.
Nevertheless, Carballess Baena was good value for his win, striking the ball confidently and moving his young opponent around the court enough to throw Rune off his rhythm.
The Spaniard will play the winner of the match between Russian Aslan Karatsev and Jiri Lehecka next, either of which would pose a significant challenge in reaching the third round.
For Rune, he will be left to lick the wounds of a bruising first round Grand Slam defeat, having made at least the fourth round in all three previous majors this year.
Rune : “Some of my worst tennis”
“It’s the last Grand Slam of the year. I played some of my worst tennis. It’s disappointing,” Rune said in his post-match press conference.
“Only one thing I can do is learn from it, try to get stability in my team, stability around me, and, you know, do all the right things so I can perform when I’m on the court.”
The Dane now has some time to regroup as he attempts to put this defeat behind him and finish off the final months of the season in a strong position.
Rune will be under pressure to perform well over the final couple of months of the year. Having enjoyed a superb end to the season last year, winning the Paris Masters as part of an impressive run of form, he has 1700 points (on 4790) to defend between now and November.
New York (Grand Slam), other first-round results of Monday (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):
- Novak Djokovic (2) beat Alexandre Muller: 6-0, 6-2, 6-3
- Borna Gojo (Q) beat Hugo Dellien: 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (7) beat Milos Raonic: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
- Hugo Gaston (Q) beat Sho Shimabukuro (Q): 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
- Dominic Stricker (Q) beat Alexei Popyrin: 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
- Benjamin Bonzi (WC) beat Quentin Halys: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- Roman Safiullin beat Marco Cecchinato: 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
- Mackenzie McDonald beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (15): 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
- Christopher Eubanks (28) beat SoonWoo Kwon: 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
- Bernabe Zapata Miralles beat Ethan Quinn (WC): 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
- Aslan Karatsev beat Jiri Lehecka: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
- Tommy Paul (14) beat Stefano Travaglia (Q): 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
- Taylor Fritz (9) beat Steve Johnson (WC): 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
- Jiri Vesely beat Enzo Couacaud (Q): 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
- Titouan Droguet (Q) beat Lorenzo Musetti (18): 6-3, 0-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2
- Francisco Cerundolo (20) beat Zachary Svajda (Q): 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
- Juan Pablo Varillas beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 1-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4
- Marton Fucsovics beat Sebastian Korda (31): 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4
- Laslo Djere (32) beat Brandon Nakashima: 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
- Rinky Hijikata (WC) beat Pavel Kotov: 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
- Jakub Mensik (Q) beat Gregoire Barrere: 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2
- Frances Tiafoe (10) beat Learner Tien (WC): 6-2, 7-5, 6-1
- Casper Ruud (5) beat Emilio Nava (Q): 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
- Roberto Carballes Baena beat Holger Rune (4): 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21) beat Marcos Giron: 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- Dominic Thiem beat Alexander Bublik (25): 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
- Ben Shelton beat Pedro Cachin: 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
- Juan Manuel Cerundolo beat Ilya Ivashka: 2-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
- Sebastian Ofner beat Nuno Borges: 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4
- Fabian Marozsan beat Richard Gasquet: 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (1), 6-2
- Adrian Mannarino (22) beat Yosuke Watanuki: 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5
- Zhizhen Zhang beat J.J. Wolf: 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-3
