Cincinnati Open: Terence Atmane Thrashes Holger Rune To Qualify For Semis

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Posted by AI on 2025-08-15 06:25:22 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-14 14:14:40

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French qualifier Terence Atmane pulled off a stunning upset on Friday, defeating top seed and world No. 10 Holger Rune, 6-2, 6-3, to book his place in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. Atmane, who came into the tournament as the world No. 138 and having never won a tour-level match before this week, has now won three consecutive main-draw matches for the first time in his career. The enigmatic Frenchman, who idolizes tennis great Andre Agassi for his unique style of play, stormed out of the gates, breaking Rune's serve in the opening game of the match and never looked back. Atmane's unpredictable brand of aggressive tennis, which includes a lethal one-handed backhand and formidable serve, proved too much for the Dane to handle.

"I didn't expect to win, of course. I came here just hoping to get a couple of matches, you know, maybe one or two, and then go back home," Atmane explained in an post-match interview. "I tried to stay focused on my game and my tactics. I knew that he (Rune) is a guy who can be nervous, and I had to take advantage of that. I played very well, served very well, and returned well too."

Atmane, who earlier in the week had defeated the experienced Frenchman Gilles Simon and American wildcard Sam Querrey, among others, also credited his coach, Xavier Malisse, and fellow Frenchman Constant Lestienne, for helping him believe in himself and giving him the extra push needed to pull off the massive upset.

"They told me I can do it. I maybe believed them 10 percent, and the other 90 percent was just trying to stay focused on my game," said Atmane. "But they told me I was playing well and to just go for it."

With the win, Atmane becomes the first Frenchman to reach the semifinals here since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2014 and will look to continue his improbable run against American Tommy Paul, who upset Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev, 7-6(4), 6-4, earlier in the day.

Go!