Danish teenager will break into top 10 after beating six-time champion 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in final
\n PARIS
\nDanish teenager Holger Rune shocked six-time champion Novak Djokovic to clinch his first Masters title in Paris on Sunday after coming from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
\nRune, 19, became the youngest winner of the Paris tournament since an 18-year-old Boris Becker in 1986 after beating five top-10 players in as many days \u2013 the first to do so in the same tournament.
\nHe is the fifth first-time Masters winner this season and will be the first Danish man to break into the top 10 on Monday.
\n\u201cIt means everything to me, a perfect way to finish the week,\u201d said Rune. \u201cIt was an incredible tournament.\u201d
\nAfter winning the title in Stockholm either side of runner-up finishes in Sofia and Basel, Rune began his run to a fourth straight final by saving three match points in the opening round to beat Stan Wawrinka.
\nHe then took down Hubert Hurkacz followed by Andrey Rublev before seeing off Carlos Alcaraz as the world number one retired with injury while trailing by a set in the quarter-finals.
\nRune snapped Felix Auger-Aliassime\u2019s 16-match winning streak to set up the clash with Djokovic, who had not lost at Bercy since his defeat to Karen Khachanov in the 2018 final.
\n\u201cFor somebody who is so young to show this composure and maturity in the big match like this is very impressive. He\u2019s had a week of his life,\u201d said Djokovic.
\nThe Serb came into Sunday\u2019s final having won 21 of 22 matches since the start of Wimbledon, which he won for the seventh time in July to match Pete Sampras.
\nHe broke for a 3-1 lead as Rune served back-to-back double faults in the biggest final of his career to date.
\nDjokovic comfortably held out to pocket the opening set and looked to have Rune on the ropes when he surged 40-0 ahead on his opponent\u2019s serve in the first game of the second set.
\nBut Rune battled back superbly to thwart Djokovic and then swung the momentum in his favour by immediately breaking to go 2-0 up the following game, which proved enough to force a decider.
\nThe 16-year age gap between the pair was the biggest in a Masters final since Rafael Nadal, then 19, defeated 35-year-old Andre Agassi in Montreal in 2005.
\nRune\u2019s inexperience resurfaced when he double-faulted attempting a big second serve to hand Djokovic a 3-1 edge, but the Dane showed his remarkable character to break back straight away.
\nInstead it was Djokovic who cracked when the pressure was highest, spearing a forehand wide to present Rune with the chance to serve for the trophy.
\nRune withstood six break points in a marathon final game before securing the title after two hours and 34 minutes to complete an incredible week in the French capital.
\n\u201cIt was the most stressful game of my life,\u201d said Rune of the gripping finale. \u201cMy heart was almost in my brain. I was already starting to think about the tie-break. I\u2019m very proud I could finish it.\u201d
\nRune is qualified for next week\u2019s Next Gen Finals in Milan, but with his victory over Djokovic he also becomes the first alternate for the ATP Finals in Turin from November 13-20.
\nDjokovic will turn his focus to winning the season-ending finals for a record-equalling sixth time, to draw level with Roger Federer.
\n\u201cOf course I\u2019m disappointed with the loss today, but I was very close,\u201d said Djokovic.
\n\u201cIt was just very few points that decided a winner. But the level of tennis that I\u2019m playing is high, and I like my chances (in Turin).
\n\u201cEvery match is like a final there. There are no easy matches.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Danish teenager will break into top 10 after beating six-time champion 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in final PARIS Danish teenager Holger Rune shocked six-time champion Novak Djokovic to clinch his first Masters title in Paris on Sunday after coming from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Rune, 19, became the youngest winner of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-293824","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n