Van de Zandschulp led 4-3 in the first set, and Rune was serving at 40/15 when he quit due to a sore chest.
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After his opponent Botic van de Zandschulp was forced to retire in the final of the BMW Open by American Express in Munich on Saturday, Holger Rune won his maiden ATP Tour competition. Van de Zandschulp led 4-3 in the first set, and Rune was serving at 40/15 when he quit due to a sore chest. At the ATP 250 event in Germany, both eighth-seeded van de Zandschulp and wild card Rune had reached their first tour-level final.
“This was probably the worst way to win a final,” said Rune after the match. “I was obviously expecting a very tough match and he came out very strong. I just wish him all the best, a speedy recovery, and we all just hope to see him back on the court very soon.”
Rune, who turned 19 on Friday, had a spectacular week culminating with his championship run. With the victory, the Dane becomes the Open Era’s third-youngest Munich champion and the ATP Tour’s fifth first-time winner in 2022. On his road to the title, he defeated World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the second round, as well as Jiri Lehecka, Emil Ruusuvuori, and Oscar Otte, all in straight sets.
“I’m super happy, of course,” added Rune. “As I said, not the way I want it to end, but if I look through the week, what a week. I played some unbelievable tennis, really fighting my way through it. To be playing here in Munich and winning my first ATP title in front of such a brilliant crowd, I couldn’t really ask for more.”
Despite the disappointing finale, Van de Zandschulp was pleased with what he had accomplished on his first appearance in Munich. “I think I showed a good level, some good wins here,” said the Dutchman, who knocked out second seed Casper Ruud and the in-form Miomir Kecmanovic on his way to the championship match. “I hope to back that up a little bit in the next couple of weeks and keep the same level, but first of all get physically ready for the next tournament.”
“I started pretty well in the beginning, the first five games, then it changed for me. It was tough for me to play long rallies and keep the level I had in the first five games. I thought it was getting better after the treatment, but unfortunately I had to retire from the match,” he added.
