"If you feel the pain, why not?": Rune disparages criticism of medical timeout during Rome Open semi-final

Holger Rune dismissed criticism surrounding his use of a medical timeout during a time when Casper Ruud was about to finish off the match at the Rome Open.

Ruud won the opening set thanks to some amazing play and he was up a break in the second set. Rune took a medical timeout as Ruud was about to serve to extend his lead and get himself closer to a win and it disrupted him. He wouldn't win a game in the second set since then with Rune escaping 6-4 and then cruising in the final set.

After the match Ruud criticised Rune for the timeout though the Dane doesn't see anything wrong with it:

"Yeah, I take a medical timeout when I have a problem and when I feel pain. I mean, I do it sometimes because I feel the pain. That's it. I want to get the treatment, that's it. I don't know how to answer that."

He added:

"I think it's allowed. If you feel the pain, why not? I mean, there's ATP physio. You have the opportunity to use him. I know there's certain moments in matches where you probably shouldn't take a medical timeout, where I don't take a medical timeout. I take it when it's in the beginning of the set or somewhere. Mostly when I have a problem."