Nobody could hold on to a lead
Five sets, and not once did either man win two in a row. Holger Rune is out of the US Open, beaten in the second round by Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. It finished just before 04h30 French time.
Struff edged the opener in a tie-break. Rune answered hard, 6-2. The German took the third 6-3, the Dane the fourth 6-4, and the decider turned into a straight serving contest. Rune blinked at 5-6, broken on the one game he could not afford to lose.
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The early exits are piling up
Rune was one of the youngest players of his generation to settle inside the world top 10, and the 2022 Paris Masters title, won against Novak Djokovic in the final, made him look like the one who would push past the old guard first. Four years later the Slam ledger reads differently. Another second-round loss goes on a list that is getting hard to explain away.
What makes it sting more is the shape of the draw. Several seeds in his half had already gone out that same day. The road was open. He never got onto it.
Struff is nobody’s easy draw
The German has never been a Slam contender. He has been a nuisance for years. In 2023 he reached the Madrid Masters final as a lucky loser, coming through from qualifying and beating seeds along the way, one of the odder runs of the past decade on tour.
His serve carries him and he does not fold in long matches. Four hours in the New York night will leave a mark, though. The third round arrives quickly.
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