Maxime Cressy served up a big surprise in front of a packed Montpellier crowd today, battling past the red-hot Holger Rune in the semifinals of the ATP 250 event, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4).
Cressy’s win over the No. 9-ranked Dane was the equal-biggest win of his career by ranking, having beaten a No. 9-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round of Wimbledon last year.
“Without you guys I wouldn’t have gotten the win today,” Cressy told the crowd during his on-court interview afterwards.
The two players combined to hold 35 of 36 service games in the match—the only break of the day came in the very last game of the first set, with Cressy breaking Rune to take a one-set lead (and Rune was up 30-15 in that service game, too).
Not only did Cressy not even face a break point in any of his 18 service games in the match, he wasn’t even taken to deuce. He held at 30 five times, at 15 seven times and at love six times.
He hasn’t been broken in 48 service games for the tournament now (he was 9/9 against Antoine Bellier in the first round, 10/10 against Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round, 11/11 against Borna Coric in the quarters and now 18/18 against Rune in the semis).
Awaiting the No. 51-ranked Cressy in the final will be No. 17-ranked Jannik Sinner, who ended the run of 18-year-old French wild card Arthur Fils earlier in the day with a 7-5, 6-2 victory.