World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is well on the way towards retaining his Italian Open crown. The Serb defeated Briton Cameron Norrie in the round of 16 in straight sets. However, his quarterfinal match is likely to be significantly tougher as he prepares to face Dane Holger Rune. Despite being only 20 years old, Rune is the World No. 7 right now in men’s singles tennis, and he has every chance of causing an upset over veteran Djokovic.

Djokovic himself is quite impressed with what he has seen of Rune so far. In an interview, he reflected on young Dane and how the Italian Open quarterfinal against him is likely to turn out.

Novak Djokovic heaps praises on Holger Rune’s work ethic

Holger Rune’s incredible tennis talent came to the fore in 2020. At the time, he was only 16 years old, and it didn’t take him long to secure his first ITF title. However, his meteoric rise to the top 10 of the ATP Tour rankings happened in 2022. It’s safe to say that Rune will go the distance in pro tennis and will become one of the greats if he manages to remain consistent and improves on his game.

Novak Djokovic shared what he thinks of Rune in an interview ahead of their Italian Open 2023 quarterfinal clash. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner said, “He’s a top 10 player, deservingly so. He’s been doing great things for months and he reminds me a little of who I was.”

That’s some lavish praise coming from someone who has been at the pinnacle of men’s tennis for such a long time. Djokovic also expressed admiration for Rune’s impressive work ethic. “One of the hardest workers out there, nice guy, I get along well with him. I look forward to this challenge, it’ll be a physical match.”

Read More: Danish Rising Star Holger Rune Practices With Novak Djokovic Ahead of the Serbian Open

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Rune is following in the footsteps of his idol Roger Federer

For Rune and his contemporaries, Djokovic was a major influence. However, Rune himself was always more of a Federer fan than a Djokovic admirer. A few days ago, Rune revealed in an interview that Federer was his number one influence growing up.

From wearing a bandana to moving and playing similarly, Rune tried to emulate Federer in every way he could when he was an aspiring professional. However, since then, Rune has developed his very own style of play, even though Federer still continues to inspire him.

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