Holger Rune suffered a crushing loss at the Davis Cup on Sunday, as Denmark took on Spain for a spot in the Final 8. Denmark won their first two matches, and Rune blew a match point in the fourth rubber of the tie as he faced Pedro Martinez in a dramatic contest.
The world No. 11 left Spanish captain David Ferrer furious, as Ferrer claimed Rune told the Marbella crowd to “f*** off” and wanted him penalised. But the Dane went on to lose to Martinez and then refused to shake the umpire’s hand.
Rune started the weekend well, beating Pablo Carreno Busta in the first match rubber. Elmer Moeller defeated Jaume Munar in match two, and Denmark had a 2-0 lead going into Sunday.
The Spaniards won the opening doubles match before Rune faced Martinez in the fourth match of the tie. It was a fiery contest, and even former world No. 3 Ferrer, who is known for his mild-mannered nature, lost his temper.
The Spanish captain accused Rune of swearing at the crowd and confronted the umpire. Ferrer even called the supervisor, asking why the 22-year-old wasn’t being penalised.
“Listen to me. In the first set, he cursed the fans, and then he threw two balls, and you didn’t even call a penalty,” Ferrer told the official, per AS.
“And now I’m encouraging him, and this guy comes to me to say something. Don’t even think about saying anything to me!
“I’m speaking to you in Spanish because you understand me perfectly. When he hits that ball, it has to be a penalty ball, and he said ‘f*** off’ to the crowd.”
Rune came back from a set and a break down to force a third and final set. He raced into the lead, serving for the match. But he blew a match point and Martinez won in a tiebreak to keep Spain alive.
The world No. 11 didn’t shake the umpire’s hand after the match, and later told SpilXperten that the official didn’t “deserve” a handshake.
“It’s pretty clear with so many mistakes. I don’t think it was very good work. So I don’t think he deserved it,” he explained.
Rune also wasn’t happy with the fans watching on in the Club de Tenis Puente Romano in Marbella, especially after Denmark’s experience against Serbia earlier this year.
“I just thought that there’s a difference between Danish and Spanish manners. When we played against Serbia, the atmosphere was also absolutely amazing, but there was clearly more respect. There’s a bit of a difference in upbringing,” Rune added.
“Honestly, I actually think the atmosphere is best in Barcelona. There were some things today that were a bit unsportsmanlike, but I’ve experienced worse. That wasn’t what decided the match.”
Carreno Busta went on to beat Moeller, sealing a comeback victory for his nation. Over the weekend, seven Davis Cup Finals qualifier ties were played using a home-and-away format, and Spain was the only country to win at home.
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