Tennis: ASB Classic loses second seed as Holger Rune withdraws from tournament

World No 11 Holger Rune has withdrawn from the ABS Classic. Photo / Getty Images

The ASB Classic has suffered a blow to the men’s field, with world No 11 Holger Rune withdrawing from the tournament.

The Danish star was scheduled to come into the tournament as the second seed behind Norwegian Casper Ruud, but will now not appear at the Auckland tournament. Instead, Rune has gone straight to Australia to begin his preparations for the Australian Open later this month on the practice courts.

Rune’s exit from the tournament, confirmed by his manager to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, means Cameron Norrie will become the second seed, while American JJ Wolf takes his vacant spot.

The two special exemption spots saved in the men’s draw have also not been filled, which means French veteran Richard Gasquet and Serbian Laslo Djere will also join the main draw.

It’s the latest blow to what has been a less-than-ideal return for the Auckland tournament, which has seen the women’s draw heavily impacted by the wild weather and forced some matches to be played at an indoor venue without fans in attendance. That solution could well be needed again throughout the men’s tournament, which gets underway on Monday, with more wet weather forecast for the week ahead.

The move to the indoor court had to be made in order for the tournament to play out to the set schedule, but it’s one that several players have voiced concerns about, with the limited courts available meaning the day’s play can be drawn out and the surface playing differently to those outdoors.

On Thursday, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her match against Viktoria Kuzmova after sustaining an ankle injury late in the second set. Raducanu won the first set of the match 6-0 before dropping the second 5-7 and ultimately having to call it quits.

“It’s difficult to take,” Raducanu said. “I’ve put a lot of physical work in the last few months and I’ve been feeling good and optimistic. So, to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle, is pretty disappointing. In the first week as well, I thought I was playing some pretty decent tennis.

“The courts were incredibly slick, like very slippery. So, to be honest, it’s not a surprise that this happens to someone. It’s out of my control and after a very long day of waiting around.”

Her comments come on the back of second seed Sloane Stephens noting the move from an outdoor court to the slicker, lower bouncing indoor courts was “like playing two different tournaments” given the difference in playing surface.

However, not all players have shared that view when addressing the indoor solution. No 3 seed Leylah Fernandez felt the wet weather alternative was up to standard.

“What we’ve got is a court, net and a tennis ball. That’s all we need,” Fernandez said.

“I’m just glad that we have the opportunity to play tennis and to get the tournament going. It would have been more complicated to wait another day outside, not knowing what the weather’s going to be like, we can’t control the weather. So, I’m just super happy that the tournament has these options and that I was able to play my match and I was able to do well.”