ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 7, 2025

Holger Rune

Mixed Zone

H. RUNE/G. Mpetshi Perricard

6-4, 6-7, 6-3

Q. What did you feel during the tiebreak? It looked like you push yourself to take more risk.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I lost the tiebreak, so it was not the nicest. It was a good level tiebreak. I had the one chance. I was a little bit misjudging the volley on 6-all, 7-all point, but that can happen.

I refocused very well. I started the third set really strong, very focused. I was fighting for every point, you know, getting back, refocusing again. So very happy with my level and my fight, and I returned very well today.

Q. How would you describe his serve? What was the most important thing when you are returning?

HOLGER RUNE: He has a big serve. He served very, very hard. Also, when he hits his spots it's impossible to play. Every time he does a slight mistake I just tried to be there. I had a little bit of an adjustment on my returns, but very small because I was returning very well all the match. It was just a little change, but again I just tried to play it low when I could so he had to hit up on the next shot.

Q. You said it was not easy, but how could you describe your level right now?

HOLGER RUNE: It was good. Mostly my fighting spirit is very well. The first match was great. Second match was a little different, I was more fighting with the heat. Today was a great level match again. Again, a little different match because there was not a lot of rhythm. In a way, it was more about serve and return and first shot. Again, as I said, it went very well, and next match will bring a different challenge.

Q. You did a great job in the first and third set. Can you summarize it.

HOLGER RUNE: I stepped up in the third set. I returned very well. I think all the match it was difficult. When you play a guy like that, you know, you can get sometimes 30-Love or 40-Love, and he hits three or four bombs on the line on the serve. It's about staying locked in, staying focused, accepting that he's going to hit those serves, and hit a good return, move on, and play on your terms.

Q. What's your next goal in Shanghai?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, one more round, move forward. Now I focus on the next round. Every match brings a different challenge. Now it's going to be a different opponent on the next match, different kind. I'm going to focus on that, and try to look into how either Griekspoor or Vacherot is playing. It's going to be interesting. I'm looking forward for the quarterfinals.

Q. Would you say overall one of your best matches? I was looking at your stats: 81 percent you won on the first serve. 71 on the second. Never was broken. 36 winners, nine unforced. Pretty clean match.

HOLGER RUNE: That's pretty good. I didn't know. But that's nice. Again, I think I played very, very disciplined today. Again, I was taking mostly right decision all the match. I was not trying to play outstanding or anything, I just really tried to focused and do the right things. You know, try to play aggressive because you don't want to have him attacking too much. Accepting also, when he hits through you, trying to keep my court position a lot, to not give him so much space to play on, and really try to take my forehand and come inside the court, and even follow to the net when if I could. I think just fighting for every point, accepting whatever happens.

Q. Six different Masters 1000 quarterfinals, another good achievement there. Talk about how consistent you've been in the Masters 1000s.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I love playing Masters. I think Masters and slams are, yeah, for everyone and for me they are the most important tournaments. That's where I try to bring out my best tennis. It's where it means the most, and I'm going to fight every time I play.

Q. You mentioned the heat. You didn't seem very happy with the heat the other day. I know it's been cooler today. But generally speaking, with so many retirements from this competition do you think something needs to change, like ATP rules around heat?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I think there should be a heat rule like there are in the Grand Slam. I think every player would agree on that. Today was better, as you say, today was less hot. But again, it was less hot, but if it was more normal temperature today would be very hot. I think it was like 31 degrees and very humid. But compared to the other days it was pretty brutal.

So I think there should be some kind of rule. We can handle a certain amount of heat because, you know, we are fit, we're strong, we're mentally strong as well, but there's always a limit. I think it's also important to take care of your health. We need to survive. I think some kind of rule, you know, not that we should stop if it's just more than this, but like the Grand Slam, you know, they have a feeling on when it's a little bit too much, and we wait a little bit to see if it drops.