Grigor Dimitrov defeated Holger Rune 6-3, 7-5 in the Beijing second round. World no. 19 is through into the last eight after a solid performance, beating the opponent from the top-5 for the first time since October 2021 and ending a 12-match losing streak against the rivals from that group. Rune defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round before returning to his usual post-Wimbledon pace, spraying 30 unforced errors and struggling behind the first and second serve. Grigor turned 45% of the return points into four breaks from 11 opportunities, serving well and getting broken only once to keep the pressure on the other side. The Bulgarian fired 22 service winners, taming his strokes nicely and setting the quarter-final clash against another young gun, Jannik Sinner. Holger faced issues behind the initial shot right from the start, denying a break point in the encounter’s opening game with a forehand down the line winner.
Grigor Dimitrov defeated Holger Rune in straight sets in Beijing.
However, he netted a routine backhand on the second to propel Grigor in front. The Bulgarian pushed strong on the return again at 2-0, earning three break chances and converting the last after the Dane’s wayward forehand. The more experienced player fired a service winner in the fourth game, holding at 15 and opening a 4-0 gap after 18 minutes. Rune found the rhythm on the return in the sixth game, painting a behind-the-back forehand down the line winner and pulling one break back. Holger grabbed the seventh game and created another break point at 3-4 that could have brought him back to the positive side. Grigor erased it with an ace and held for 5-3.
Rune played another loose service game, getting broken for the third time and handing the opener to Dimitrov after 43 minutes. The young gun raised his level in the second set, with Holger following Grigor’s pace. Dimitrov clinched the fifth game with a forehand winner, and Rune responded with a smash winner in the next one for 3-3. Grigor forced Holger’s mistake in the ninth game, opening a 5-4 gap and challenging his rival to repeat that while serving to stay in the match. Rune passed that obstacle before facing another at 5-6. Holger played a couple of loose shots and experienced three match points after a double fault. Dimitrov seized the third with a volley winner, celebrating a place in the quarter-final and his first top-5 victory in almost two years.