Teen sensation Rune dumps last year’s finalist Tsitsipas out of French Open

Teenage sensation Holger Rune outmuscled world number four and last-year's French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4 on Monday to move into the quarterfinals with his biggest Grand Slam win to date.

The Dane, who has improved more than 350 places in the world rankings in the past 15 months, joins fellow 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the last eight, the first time two teenagers have made that stage at a Grand Slam since 1994.

He also becomes the first Danish male player in a Grand Slam last eight in 55 years and next plays Norway's Carsten Ruud in an all-Scandinavian quarterfinal.

“I have an unbelievable feeling. I was so nervous in the end,” said a beaming Rune, playing in his first French Open.

“I was very nervous. I told myself to keep at it and play my plan. I mean it is so great to still be here.”

Fourth seed Tsitsipas, hunting for his first Grand Slam title, started well and broke the Dane to go 3-1 up when Rune's drop shot was not short enough and the Greek whipped a cross-court winner past him.

Rune, a former junior champion in Paris at the age of 16, broke twice, clinching the set with a disputed line call that went in his favour.

Tsitsipas did not lose his composure though, saved three consecutive break points in the first game of the second set and powered back to level the match.

He did slip up midway through the third by gifting Rune a break and the teenager made the most of it to win the set when Tsitsipas fired a topspin forehand into the net. The Dane succeeded in getting Tsitsipas out of his comfort zone on the baseline, bringing his tall opponent to the net with drop points and stretching him wide off the court with deep cross-court balls.

He then raced to a 5-2 lead with a scorching backhand down the line but showed nerves in the end as Tsitsipas fought back to 5-4 and even earned break points. But Rune made sure of his big win on the first match point just as the clock ticked past the three hour mark.

Italian 11th seed Jannik Sinner retired injured from his fourth-round clash against Russian Andrey Rublev after a good start to the match on Monday. The 20-year-old, bidding to make his second quarterfinal in Paris after 2020, won the opening set 6-1 before getting treatment on his left knee in the second, which he lost 6-4.

Rublev, the seventh seed, was 2-0 up in the third when Sinner threw in the towel.

Eighth seed Casper Ruud reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal when he downed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-3 3-6 6-3.

Norway's Ruud, who will face Rune on Wednesday, overcame a brief fightback from his 12th- seeded opponent to achieve one of the goals he had set for himself this season.