What Holger Rune and Casper Ruud had to say about Dane's Italian Open medical timeout

Holger Rune and Casper Ruud gave their comments on the possible tactical timeout that the former had taken during the second set of their semifinal at the 2023 Italian Open.

Rune and Ruud played a great match in Rome on Saturday, with the Dane winning after losing the first set, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Ruud was in a comfortable lead at one point, 7-6, 6-4, but the entire momentum switched in the middle of the second set after Rune asked for a medical timeout.

The new finalist of the Italian Open was questioned about often taking medical timeouts during the post-match press conference and how that may make the fans and his opponents feel.

"Yeah, I take a medical timeout when I have a problem and when I feel pain. I mean, I do it sometimes because I feel the pain. That's it. I want to get the treatment, that's it. I don't know how to answer that. I think it's allowed. If you feel the pain, why not? I mean, there's ATP physio. You have the opportunity to use him," said Holger Rune.

The MTO was just before Ruud's service game for an apparent shoulder injury, but the youngster doesn't think it was a bad time for it.

"I know there are certainly moments in matches where you probably shouldn't take a medical timeout, where I don't take a medical timeout. I take it when it's in the beginning of the set or somewhere. Mostly when I have a problem. I think it has to be — I mean, it's fair to take it if you have a problem I think, yeah," Holger Rune said after the match.

During his press conference, Ruud was asked whether he thinks the medical timeout was 'tactical'.

"I would like to think not, but I don't know. It was for the shoulder. I don't know, when I broke him, he didn't serve particularly slow, I think. I don't know. It would only be guessing. But I think if you have pain, you have the right to take the physio," Casper Ruud stated.

The Norwegian then added that it should be discussed if taking a medical timeout should be allowed just before the opponent's service game.

"The rule should maybe be discussed a bit I think because there are many cases where someone takes a medical timeout and it's before the opponent's serve, which I know a lot of people kind of dislike a little bit because it can interrupt your rhythm and you have to wait when you're about to serve. I don't know if that's something that might change in the future.

"It's completely allowed to take a medical timeout. It seemed like it helped him a lot. He played very, very well in the second and third set coming back. Yeah, if there was pain, sure, it obviously helped him a lot I think," Ruud added.

Holger Rune is aiming to win his second Masters title at the 2023 Italian Open

Holger Rune beat Casper Ruud at the Italian Open semifinals

Holger Rune will play in his third Masters final after going 1-1 at the Paris Masters and in Monte Carlo.

He won his first Masters title at the 2022 Paris Masters by beating Novak Djokovic, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, but he lost against Andrey Rublev at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.

The World No. 6 at the live rankings still doesn't know whether he will face Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, as their semifinal match has been delayed by rain.

If Rune wins the title in Rome, he can tie Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fifth position in the ATP rankings, but the Greek has to lose his semifinal duel.