Rune grinds past Perricard in Shanghai thriller
Under Shanghai’s relentless lights, Holger Rune weathered a serve onslaught to edge closer to Masters glory, while Zizou Bergs staged a tiebreak escape that etched his breakout moment on the big stage.
In the sweltering evening heat of the Shanghai Masters, Holger Rune confronted the raw power of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, whose thunderous serves echoed like cracks across the hard courts. The Dane, pursuing his first ATP Masters 1000 title since Paris in 2022, dug deep over two hours and 30 minutes to claim a 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory, his composure turning a potential upset into a step forward in a season of high-stakes chases.
Navigating power with patient returns
Rune’s strategy centered on survival against Mpetshi Perricard’s delivery, where he captured just 27 percent of points—17 out of 63—yet seized two vital breaks to shift the momentum. He mixed deep crosscourt returns with occasional inside-out backhands to stretch the Frenchman wide, forcing errors in extended rallies that tested both players’ endurance on the fast surface. This win boosts his head-to-head lead to 2-1 and sets up a quarterfinal clash with Tallon Griekspoor or qualifier Valentin Vacherot, each offering a chance to refine his one–two patterns amid the tournament’s rising intensity.
His 2025 hard-court form peaked at Indian Wells, where a final loss to Jack Draper left him trophyless at the elite level, fueling a drive that now intertwines with the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin. Sitting 12th and 945 points behind eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti—who remains in contention here—a Shanghai title would propel Rune to 3,290 points, securing a second bid at the Nitto ATP Finals after his 2023 round-robin struggles. The 22-year-old’s five tour-level titles speak to his resilience, but breaking this three-year Masters drought demands the mental steel he’s honing with every point.
“Well, probably the saving ones (match points) because it was on his serve,” said Bergs. “it’s easier to finish a match while serving than trying to save the match while returning. But in the end it’s really difficult. He doesn’t give me any free points. All the match points I really had to go and look for it. So, in the end, you have to stay calm, but at the same time aggressive. Luckily, I managed to do that.”
Bergs claws through tiebreak tension
Earlier that day, Zizou Bergs turned a near-collapse into triumph, saving two match points to defeat Gabriel Diallo 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(8) after two hours and 49 minutes of grinding baseline exchanges. The 26-year-old Belgian erased a squandered 4-1 lead in the decider, holding firm at 6/7 and 7/8 in the tiebreak before converting his third match point with a sharp down-the-line forehand. His flat groundstrokes and aggressive net rushes neutralized Diallo’s power, marking his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal and injecting fresh energy into a career marked by steady climbs.
This feat makes Bergs the fifth Belgian man to reach this stage at a Masters event and the second in Shanghai, echoing David Goffin‘s runs in 2016 and 2024. He surges six spots to No. 38 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, primed for a career high on Monday, a milestone that amplifies the crowd’s roar as he eyes deeper progress. A potential last-eight matchup against Novak Djokovic—who faces Jaume Munar later—looms as a test of nerve against the Serb’s precise baseline control on these bouncy courts.
“It means a lot and you probably saw it in my reaction,” said Bergs, who fell to the ground after reaching the last eight. “it’s quite amazing and I feel like my trajectory is a little different, the speed of my path is different. I’m 26 and I’m reaching continuously my career high. I know it’s not going to be only ups, and I’ve had my downs as well this year, but I’m really curious to see where my potential’s going to bring me.”
Hard-court paths to year-end glory
For Rune, the Shanghai hard courts blend tactical demands with psychological weight, his improved return timing disrupting big servers while inside-in forehands open angles for winners. The atmosphere thickens with late-night humidity and spectator anticipation, mirroring his internal push to convert pressure into propulsion toward Turin. Bergs’ dramatic save, meanwhile, underscores a trajectory of calculated risks, his underspin slices varying pace to unsettle opponents and build belief in untapped depths.
Both players navigate a field where surface speed rewards boldness, their advances weaving personal narratives into the tournament’s broader rhythm. As the week unfolds, Rune’s endurance and Bergs’ poise position them to challenge the elite, each match a brushstroke in a season defined by hard-fought evolution and the quiet thrill of possibility.
