Holger Rune advanced to his tenth Masters 1000 quarterfinal at the Cincinnati Masters after Frances Tiafoe retired from their last-16 clash on Wednesday evening. The No. 7 seed, who is ranked No. 9, led 6-4, 3-1 when Tiafoe, the No. 14 seed, pulled out with what appeared to be a back or hip injury.
Tiafoe had asked for a medical timeout at 5-4 in the first set and was not the same afterward in terms of speed and focus. Rune, who has reached ten Masters 1000 quarterfinals, will now play the winner of the Fritz-Atmane match, with the American Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed, and French qualifier Terence Atmane set to clash for the right to face Rune.
The American, who was last year’s runner-up here, had progressed by beating Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4 and Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-3 in earlier rounds. He is set to drop out of the Top 15 in the next ATP rankings due to the setback.
Rune’s victory extends his strong run on hard courts this season and keeps him firmly in the mix as the Cincinnati event heads toward the business end. Tiafoe, who has been a major presence in American men’s tennis, will now shift focus to his recovery, with his ranking impact evident after this withdrawal. The winner of Fritz versus Atmane will offer Rune a valuable quarterfinal test as he aims to push deeper in the tournament.
Additional context: Cincinnati’s Masters 1000 event continues to deliver a mix of veteran contenders and rising stars, with early rounds providing a platform for players to tune up ahead of the late-summer hard-court swing. If Rune can continue his momentum, he’ll bode well for his chances in upcoming big events. Positive note: this development keeps Rune’s Masters momentum alive and seeds a potentially exciting quarterfinal ahead.