Holger Rune failed to finish as the 2023 finalist was hit by illness which forced him to quit his opening match on Tuesday at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The Dane who lost a quarter-final here a year ago to Jannik Sinner was unable to go on against Nuno Borges, handing the Portuguese a 6-2, 3-0 (retired) win into the second round.
The entire misadventure took just 45 minutes, with the Dane packing it in with obvious disappointment.
Borges was making his main draw debut at the event, but competed at the seaside Country Club earlier this year.
“This is a very special place,” the 43rd-ranked winner said. “I came here in February for Davis Cup, but it did not have the magic back then.
“This is maybe the most beautiful place in tennis, when you play here you feel the magic.”
The second from his country to ever crack the ranking top 50 added:
“I knew my opponent was not feeling at his best – but I’ll take a win however I can.
“I tried not to give him too much, stick to my game plan and play aggressive.”
Main photo:- Holger Rune winning 2024 Monte Carlo Masters in 2024 – by ISF Ltd
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