The rain that came at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers on Friday meant no play was possible. But the flip side is that it figures to be an action-packed day Saturday in Montréal — under mostly sunny skies.
Among the third round matches that stand out is former tournament champ Alexander Zverev of Germany facing Holger Rune of Denmark.
Here’s the tale of the tape.
Head-to-head
In their head-to-head battles, the players are tied 1-1, both on clay.
Rune probably won’t ever forget his match with Zverev on the latter’s home turf of Munich in 2022 because it marked his first Top 10 win. Zverev also happened to be the tournament’s top seed. Rune went on to win his first title in Munich that week as the world no. 70.
But the 6-foot-6 Zverev turned the tables this year at Roland-Garros, prevailing in five sets in the fourth round after he trailed 2-1 in sets.
Zverev almost went all the way, too, before falling in five sets in the Paris finale to Carlos Alcaraz. Zverev is currently ranked no. 4 and Rune sits at no. 17.
2024 season
Rune began the season by going 13-6 but said he was bothered by a wrist injury on the clay and grass. The injury forced him to pull out of the Paris Olympics.
Off the court, he announced last week that he cut ties with one of his coaches, Patrick Mouratoglou (who formerly guided Serena Williams).
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom, despite his ranking tumbling. Just 21, Rune managed to reach back-to-back second weeks at the French Open and Wimbledon, even with his wrist issue.
Zverev, 27, has had his own health issues, being ill and injuring his knee at Wimbledon. Yet he is closing in on 50 ATP and Grand Slam wins in 2024, helped by his extended stay at Roland-Garros and a semi-final showing at the Australian Open. He is on course to once again compete at the eight-player ATP Finals, where he made his debut in 2017.
History in Canada
Rune, who can slug from the baseline, take the pace off and play up at the net, has won back-to-back matches in Canada for the first time. Due to face home favourite Milos Raonic in the first round, a shoulder injury forced the wildcard to withdraw. Rune topped his replacement, Roberto Bautista Agut, in three sets before ousting another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta. The same Carreno Busta beat Rune in 2022 as part of his path to the Montréal title.
He hit 12 double faults in losing his opener last year in Toronto to Marcos Giron, part of a spell where he went 1-8. Zverev hasn’t been back to Montréal since 2019, when he exited in the quarter-finals against Karen Khachanov.
But two years earlier, in 2017, Zverev was the last man standing in Montreal as he picked up a second Masters 1000 crown. Zverev swept past an ailing Roger Federer in the final without getting broken.
He was closer to losing at the start of the week, saving a match point against Richard Gasquet after prevailing in a 49-shot rally.
He wasn’t tested in his lone match so far this year on Canadian soil, beating Jordan Thompson of Australia 6-1, 6-1. Thompson had won their last two matches, including a three-hour, 40-minute marathon in Mexico in February.
Featured photo by: Pascal Ratthé
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