Miami Open 2023: Holger Rune sees off Diego Schwartzman in straight sets to set up Taylor Fritz last-16 clash

Holger Rune continued his quest for a first title of the season at the Miami Open with a 6-4 6-2 win over Diego Schwartzman, setting up a heavyweight last-16 clash with home favourite Taylor Fritz.

Rune, 19, stormed into the top 10 last year after victories in Paris, Stockholm and Munich, but he’s yet to reach a final in 2023.

The seventh seed, following consecutive straight-sets victories over Marton Fucsovics and Schwartzman, faces world No.10 Fritz next after the big-serving American defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-4.

In a tight first set lasting 54 minutes, Rune took the only break point chance he created, and saved the only one he faced.

That break point came in the opening game, and Rune held strong on serve for the rest of the set as he landed four aces and hit 14 winners to his opponent’s seven.

Rune then got off to a dream start in the second, immediately breaking the 31st seed, but Schwartzman responded strongly by setting up two break points of his own and taking the first thanks to a Rune double fault.

A third break came when Rune struck back in a topsy-turvy start to the set, and the Dane consolidated with a hold before earning his third consecutive break to take an unassailable lead.

“It’s 30 degrees so it was going to be very tough physically,” said Rune.

“My focus was really to step in every time I could and play my game. I think there were a few rallies where I didn’t, but 95 per cent of the match was played on my terms, which was what I wanted. I’m happy that I was able to break him and I only got broken once, because he is super strong as a return player.”

Fritz is eyeing a more attacking approach in his clash with Rune after a series of gruelling baseline exchanges in his battle against Shapovalov.

The American was guilty of only eight unforced errors to his opponent’s 17 and didn’t face a single break point during his victory.

“I couldn’t really find that attacking formula because he was hitting the ball so hard and he was hitting his second serve so big,” Fritz said.

“It turned more into making balls and being steady. Because when he was putting balls in the court, I couldn’t attack much off that.”

He continued: “In this next match against Holger I would be surprised if I didn’t get more chances to attack. Nothing to do with him, because against Emilio [Nava] and Denis, both these two matches, I have never seen a guy go after it so much and not allow me any options to attack. Hopefully in the next match I will get more chances to be aggressive.”

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev also progressed, making short work of Miomir Kecmanovic with a 6-1 6-2 win in just 58 minutes.

The Russian will face Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov next as he chases his 13th career title but his first in Miami.

Australian Open semi-finalist Tommy Paul progressed on home soil by beating No. 20 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-5.

Paul hit eight aces and 19 winners while profiting from the Spaniard’s 26 unforced errors in a match lasting one hour, 33 minutes.

The 25-year-old American, a runner-up in Acapulco earlier this month, will face the winner of the clash between world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the Round of 16.

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