Danish star, Holger Rune overcame a ‘Demonic’ challenge in the QF and now, he’ll face the mighty German, Alexander Zverev! With this emphatic triumph against Alex de Minaur in the previous round, Rune has now become the youngest player to make it to multiple SFs (2022 & 2024) at Paris Masters since Marat Safin (1999 & 2000). Speaking about his next opponent, the Dane said, “He (Zverev)is one of the best players this year, so I will have to be very well prepared and physically recover and build on the level from this match.“ With the form Zverev has been in this, it won’t be easy for Rune to make his way further! Who’s the favorite in this epic SF clash, though?

Alexander Zverev vs Holger Rune: Preview

Alexander Zverev started his season reaching the SF of the Australian Open where he was defeated by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. After that, his first major success came at the Italian Open where he defeated the Chilean, Nicolas Jarry 6-4,7-5 in the final match. Zverev also reached the final of the French Open this year, but Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in a thrilling five-setter. At Paris Masters, Alexander Zverev started his campaign by beating the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the R32. Then came his hard-fought victory against the home favorite, Arthur Fils. However, his 7-5,6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the QF outshines both of his previous matches.

Holger Rune started his season by reaching the final of the Brisbane International. The 21-year-old Dane has made quite a few long runs in his previous tournaments this season but has failed to deliver when it mattered the most. He’s yet to win a title this season. Rune entered this tournament after losing his SF match at the Swiss Indoors against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. However, in this tournament, he displayed a fair bit of resilience in all his matches. He outclassed, Matteo Arnaldi and Alexander Bublik in the first two matches. However, after that, it took him three sets to beat his next two opponents (Arthur Cazaux and Alex de Minaur) in the next two rounds.

Zverev vs Rune: Head-to-Head

Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune have faced each other three times in their careers so far. Currently, the German leads the head-to-head (2-1).

• 2024 ATP Masters 1000 Canada R16: Zverev 6-3,7-6(5).
• 2024 French Open R16: Zverev 4-6,6-1,5-7,7-6(2),6-2.
• 2022 Munich R16: Rune 6-3,6-2.

Prediction: Zverev to win in three sets

Holger Rune won this tournament in 2022, yet we’re keeping Alexander Zverev ahead in this contest. Reasons? Well, Zverev has been one of the most consistent players on the Tour this season. With the help of this consistency, he has now secured his place inside the Top 3. He’s currently ranked 3rd in the world and has a win-loss index of 61-20. Rune (13) on the other hand, has a win-loss index of just 46-23.

If we take a look at their playing styles, Holger Rune is an all-court player. His defensive skills are quite incredible. Rune loves using his compact forehand and his consistent backhand to unsettle his opponents during his matches. Apart from that, the Dane is also a good server and has an aggressive return in his armory. Rune needs to win his second title at the Paris Masters in order to stay in the race to Turin. So, he’ll be desperate to get a win from this match, but will Sascha give him a free run?

Alexander Zverev is an aggressive baseliner, who usually loves standing far behind the baseline and aims to his fiery groundstrokes either for winners or to wear down his opponents. He can generate a lot of power with his backhand and forehand shots. In fact, his backhand is regarded as one of the best in the ATP Tour. The German is also quite lethal with his serve, and guess what? He has already hit 711 aces this season and if we take a look at his numbers this season, Zverev has hit a total of 34 aces in his previous three matches in Paris. However, his biggest weaknesses include his volley and overhead techniques. Rune needs to capitalize fully on his opponent’s weaknesses right from the start of this match to stand a chance of reaching the final. Can he do that against the in-form German? Looks like a tough task at the moment!