French Open 2022 - 'I don't send my mother away' - Holger Rune after 'leave!' shout controversy
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Updated 02/06/2022 at 09:04 GMT
Holger Rune came under fire for a bizarre moment during his French Open quarter-final defeat to Casper Ruud. Rune was heard shouting 'leave!' a number of times during a change of ends, after which his mother left her seat. But Rune says he was not directing the instruction at his mother, who was up and down on her seat frequently during the night match at Roland-Garros.
'Leave!' - Rune appears to yells at box, shortly before his mother vacates seat on Philippe-Chatrier
Holger Rune has been forced to deny shouting ‘leave!’ to his mother, Aneke, during his French Open quarter-final defeat to Casper Ruud.
The 19-year-old was beaten 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 on the night, in a match which ran until 12.30am in Paris.
Frustrations clearly reached boiling point for the 19-year-old, as at one stage he was heard to shout 'leave!' a number of times in succession.
Shortly afterwards, his mother did indeed get out of her seat and leave the stadium. However, she was doing so frequently during the match and speaking to Eurosport, Rune insisted the instruction to leave was directed at someone else.
"First of all, I didn’t tell my mother to leave the stadium," he said. "That’s not why. It was another person. So that’s wrong.
"It’s of course frustrating to be in my first Grand Slam quarter-final and play so much below my usual level, especially in the first set. I didn’t hit the balls properly at all. That’s frustrating when you want it as bad as I want it."
Rune added in a post on social media: "I love my mother and I don’t send her away. When I’m frustrated it can help that either my mother or coach leaves so I don’t have two people to refer to. She also left at some point against Stefanos [Tsitsipas]. To give me ease. She controls it, not me."
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'He needs to control his emotions! - Corretja and Henman on Rune shouting at box
His mother then told media: "I also slipped away during the match against Stefanos Tsitsipas at one point. When Holger turns too much off the field, it is sometimes easier that there is only one reference person, the coach, he can apply to.
"The same thing I chose to do today to give him some peace of mind. He was obviously tired, it was late and I considered it could help him."
Speaking in the Eurosport Cube after the match, Alex Corretja said Rune needs to "control his emotions" better.
"I noticed the mum was going in and out of the court many times, and she was sitting left to his coach and then on the right side and then she left and came back," said Corretja.
"Of course he is very young, he has to learn. He needs to control his emotions. He was talking too much to the box. He has to keep his balance."
Rune also came under fire following the match after sharing what seemed to be a very frosty handshake with Ruud.
But Corretja believes Rune has a bright future in the game, and led the plaudits for his aggressive style of play.
"There's a lot of positive things. I like the way Rune plays, the way he moves, the way he goes for it,” he added.
“But of course, I think if someone is in the locker room and tell him like, what about that handshake, it's like, you need to go and say “Casper, you played very well. Congratulations, all the best for you. I'm going to try my best for the future. I wish I can be there the next time and beat you.
"But he's just young. And this is my opinion. He's such a nice kid, you see him smiling and laughing on the court. But of course, he has to learn and of course, he's disappointed. He feels like he can beat him and that's why I think he shakes hands like that."
Rune’s victor Ruud is now looking forward to a semi-final showdown with 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, as he triumphed 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10-2) over Andrey Rublev to reach the last four of the French Open for the first time.
The duo will battle for a place in the final in what is set to be a mouth-watering match-up on Saturday.
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