CINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 23, 2023

Holger Rune

Queens Club

Press Conference

H. RUNE/L. Musetti

6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Holger. This is your first semifinal in grass tournaments. What has worked so well for you today?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I'm extremely happy to be in the first semifinal on grass. It's going much better. I think today was a good test to see where my level is at, because I was forced to play a lot of long rallies and move well.

So I'm happy on where I stand right now. It's going to be harder matches of course from now, but yeah, looking forward to it. I'm feeling better and better.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How does it change your mood over the overhead kick? How does change yourself in the match?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, of course he can do what he wants. I mean, it's not the best thing to do, for sure. But again, it is legal. He can do what he want. He can hit the ball where he wants to.

Yeah, for sure, this just give me fire in the belly to beat him even more. I'm super happy to manage to beat him in two sets. It feels good. I'm in the semifinal; he's not. So I'm happy.

Q. How about your injuries? Because you called the medical timeout in the first set, even if you didn't seem injured before and obviously even after.

HOLGER RUNE: Sorry?

Q. You didn't seem injured before the MTO and even after.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, but I didn't put a serve in the start of the match because I felt my wrist. So I don't know what you see, but that's how I felt.

I mean, if you're in my body, you can say something like that. But if you're not, you shouldn't say something like that.

Q. You've got Alex de Minaur in the next round. You have played each other three times before. I think they were all on the hard courts. Does this give you confidence going into your next encounter that you can replicate the same success?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah. Alex is a tough player. He plays really, really well. I think hard court and grass is his best surface. He moves extremely well. He's fast and he has good touch as well.

So I think he's a dangerous player on this surface, and obviously any surface. I played him three, four times I think on hard courts, and the times I beat him was actually some of my best matches I ever played.

I know what he's capable of, and I know which level I have to bring tomorrow. So I'm just gonna, you know, do everything I can to try to reach that level. Yeah, it's a good challenge.

Q. Before the tournament you said that you are not the tournament favorite because you have never won a grass match before. Now that you have won three in a row, not dropping even a set, how do you see yourself? Do you see yourself being the favorite for now and for the next tournaments?

HOLGER RUNE: Of course I'm feeling better now. I'm feeling more confident than I did before the tournament. But still, like, it's only three matches. I haven't, you know, had like, you know, tournaments yet I have won.

I'm just trying to build. You know, every match I play I try and stay in there and do my best, because I know that if I want to do well on grass over the years, I have to build a good relationship with the grass and I have to try and enjoy it as much as I can.

Yeah, just, as I said the whole week, stay humble, stay positive about everything.