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Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena battled past an error-riddled Holger Rune 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the US Open on Monday, handing the fourth seed a shock early exit from the year’s final major.
Carballes Baena was lethal from the baseline and fired off seven aces as his Danish rival struggled to make any impact in a muggy afternoon match at Flushing Meadows.
Rune suffered early exits from tuneup events in Toronto and Cincinnati and there were early signs of trouble Monday as he failed to earn a break point in the first set.
Carballes Baena converted on break-point chances in the fifth and ninth games but his serve lost its firepower in the second set, when Rune finally broke in the third game.
The Spaniard, who won in Marrakech earlier this year, cleaned up his act in the third set, when he broke Rune to love in the eighth game, and had clear control over the affair in the fourth set, when he dropped only a single first-serve point.
Carballes Baena broke his opponent’s serve in the third and seventh games and beamed widely after Rune surrendered the match with an unforced forehand error.
Also Monday, American 10th seed Frances Tiafoe beat compatriot Learner Tien 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the second round.
Norwegian fifth seed and 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud claimed a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over American Emilio Nava and 2020 champion Dominic Thiem from Austria defeated No. 25 seed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.