Report
Rune outlasts Rublev in three to lift the Qatar Open
A back-and-forth final decided by a single break in the third. The Dane's first title since Copenhagen twelve months ago.
Holger Rune took the Qatar Open title with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 win over Andrey Rublev in Doha. The match had been tight throughout: Rune took the first set with a single break, Rublev hit back in the second with two early breaks, and the third was decided by the only break of the set in the eleventh game.
Rune closed on his second championship point after Rublev netted a backhand down the line. The match lasted 1 hour 42 minutes.
By the numbers
- First-serve points won: Rune 78% · Rublev 74%
- Second-serve points won: Rune 54% · Rublev 41%
- Aces: Rune 6 · Rublev 18
- Winners: Rune 28 · Rublev 32
- Unforced errors: Rune 18 · Rublev 26
What it means
The title is Rune's first since Copenhagen twelve months ago and his first on a hard court outside Europe since the 2023 Australian Open swing. It moves him back into the top 12 in the live rankings, and sets up a deep run in the North American swing if the form holds.
What to watch next
- Whether Rune can sustain the form through the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
- Whether the coaching-team changes that began in January are now bedding in, with the on-court communication looking smoother than the Brisbane swing.
- Whether the serve-hold patterns hold on the faster surfaces of the North American swing.