Holger Rune dominates Jack Draper to secure Cincinnati semifinal spot

Holger Rune defeats Jack Draper to reach Cincinnati Open semifinals with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win. The 21-year-old Dane is into his fourth Masters 1000 semifinal, the first since the 2023 Rome Open, where he reached the final.

After an evenly matched start with solid service games from both sides, Rune (No. 16) secured the first break in the 5th game. The Dane controlled the rallies during long points, although Draper (No. 28) managed to easily win his service games when he landed his first serve, winning 93% of those points.

The single break was enough for Rune, who won 77% of his service points and capitalized on frequent net approaches to appear more dominant than his opponent. In 36 minutes, Rune played excellent tennis, was very aggressive, and prevented Draper from taking the initiative, closing the set 6-4.

Rune quickly secured a break at the start of the second set, putting him 2-0 up within minutes. The Dane faced more challenges on his serve than Draper, dealing with three consecutive break points against him in the 6th game but successfully saving them. Rune surprised with another break in the following game and swiftly sealed the victory with his serve, winning 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes.

The victory allows Rune to move up one position in the rankings, reaching world No. 15. In the semifinals, he will face a rejuvenated Frances Tiafoe (No. 27), who is having the best week of his career and advanced after defeating Hubert Hurkacz (5th), who withdrew after Tiafoe won the first set 6-3.