ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament is up and running in Rotterdam. We’ve already seen some mouth-watering clashes in the last few hours and now it’s time for yet another blockbuster clash. Danish star, Holger Rune will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in just a few hours from now. Rune recently helped his team (Denmark) clinch a victory against Serbia at the Davis Cup tie, while on the other hand, Sonego will be entering this contest following his impressive run at the 2025 AO. So, both the players are keen to make a winning start in Rotterdam, but who has the real edge in this epic encounter?

Holger Rune vs Lorenzo Sonego: Preview

Holger Rune hasn’t won any ATP title since the 2023 Bavarian Open. He started the 2024 season strongly by reaching the final of the Brisbane International, but over there, he was defeated by Grigor Dimitrov in two sets. Holger Rune made it to the semis in quite a few tournaments last season and that includes his impressive performances at the Mexican Open, Cincinnati Masters, Swiss Indoors, Paris Masters, and a few other tournaments. However, despite making these long runs, he failed to deliver when it mattered the most! Rune faced defeat at the hands of the eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the R4 of the 2025 AO. Now it’ll be interesting to see if he can really turn his fortunes in Rotterdam.

Lorenzo Sonego won a title last year; he defeated America’s Alex Michelsen in the final of the Winston-Salem Open by 6-0,6-3. Apart from that, the Italian also made it to the QF at the Grand Prix Hassan II and the Croatia Open. However, he looked quite impressive at the 2025 AO. He defeated the likes of Stan Wawrinka, João Fonseca, Fabian Marozsan, and Learner Tien on his way to the QF, but in the QF he was defeated by Ben Shelton by 4-6,5-7,6-4,6(4)-7. It was his career’s first Grand Slam QF! Can Lorenzo Sonego regain his momentum with a win against Dane?

Rune vs Sonego: Head-to-Head

Holger Rune and Lorenzo Sonego have faced each other two times in their careers so far. Currently, Rune has a clear-cut 2-0 edge over the Italian in their H2H record.

• 2022 Sofia R16: Rune 6(1)-7,6-4,6-3.
• 2021 Metz R16: Rune 6(6)-7,6-4,6-4.

Prediction: Rune to win in three sets

As we can see, both these players were forced to play three-setters in their previous meetings. So, we’re expecting a similar fight in this match as well. This is Holger Rune’s third appearance in this tournament and guess what? He has managed to win the first-round matches in both of the previous editions, but he failed to go past the second round. On the other hand, this is Lorenzo Sonego’s fourth appearance in this tournament and surprisingly he has never won a match in Rotterdam. Last year, we saw him facing exit at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov.

Will Rune show him the exit door this time? Well, if we take a look at their numbers from the previous season, Holger Rune (14) had a win-loss record of 46-24, while Lorenzo Sonego (34) recorded 22-30 in the 2024 season.

Now, talking about their playing styles, the 29-year-old Italian is known for his versatile playing style. He can perform equally well from the baseline and at the net. His fighting spirit and variation in the game often allow him to overcome formidable opponents. Lorenzo Sonego hits groundstrokes flatter and deeper than the typical tennis player instead of relying more on topspin. The power and depth of his shots make them harder to attack. With his cracking forehand and impeccable serve, fast courts seem to be a perfect fit for this Italian.

On the other hand, Holger Rune is more of an all-court player with some impressive defensive skills. Rune loves using his compact forehand and his consistent backhand to unsettle his opponents during the matches. He is a good server and has an aggressive return in his armory. Holger Rune hit 456 aces last season! Can his aces win the race against Lorenzo Sonego in Rotterdam? Looks pretty much likely at the moment!