Arthur Cazaux dismantles Holger Rune for upset of the tournament in AO second round

Last week, Arthur Cazaux, the current world No. 112, was lifting a trophy in the final of a Challenger-level event in France. On Thursday in Melbourne, the 21-year-old scored the biggest win of his career with a four-set stunner over world No. 8 Holger Rune.

Playing in the Australian Open main draw for the first time, wildcard Cazaux came into the clash with Rune with just two tour-level victories under his belt—and of those came just days earlier, when Cazaux defeated Laslo Djere in the first round.

Up against Rune, a pre-tournament favorite and the No. 8 seed, Cazaux played some of the best tennis of his life as he fired 50 winners and 18 aces to dispatch his opponent 7-6 (4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Margaret Court Arena.

“What was the key? I think my head, my mental. I think it was the key,” Cazaux told press after the match. “It's been a few months, I'm training very hard.

“My physical condition and my head and my tennis and all these things together give me the win today.”

The victory comes a day after Rune declared himself immune to the “Netflix curse” following his opening win against Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. Rune, who linked up with power coaches Boris Becker and Severin Luthi in the last three months, reached the final in Brisbane this month and was bidding to reach the third round here for the second year in a row.

But he couldn’t find a way to break through the Cazaux serve, with the Frenchman winning 82% of his first serve points (61/74) and winning three of the four break points he faced.

“It was a crazy match, it was a big fight… sorry my voice is gone!” Cazaux said in an emotional post-match interview. “Holger is a wonderful player and I’ve known him for a long time. I knew I had to be ready.

“Thank you everyone for a good atmosphere. The atmosphere was crazy! Merci beaucoup!”

Into the third round at a major for the first time, Cazaux will take on Tallon Griekspoor next. The No. 28 seed defeated young Frenchman Arthur Fils and came back from a set down, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.

He wasn’t the only French player to score a major upset on Thursday, with No. 51 Clara Burel also toppling No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2 in the women’s draw earlier in the day.