Fri Apr 18 11:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Rune Rebounds from Illness, Rublev Rolls in Barcelona Open
**Barcelona, Spain** – Holger Rune overcame a bout of food poisoning to secure a hard-fought victory in the first round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The sixth-seeded Dane defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-3 after a challenging match, marking his first win since reaching the Indian Wells final last month.
Rune, who was forced to withdraw from the Monte-Carlo Masters due to illness, admitted to finding the clay courts more difficult this year but expressed satisfaction with his performance and his regained health. He saved two break points in the sixth game of the first set before dominating to secure the win in one hour and 40 minutes. His next opponent will be the winner of the match between Sebastian Baez and Damir Dzumhur. This is Rune’s first second-round appearance in Barcelona.
Andrey Rublev continued his strong form, easily defeating qualifier Jesper de Jong 6-1, 6-3 in a near-flawless display. The fourth seed, who won the Doha title in February, showcased his aggressive baseline game, hitting 18 of his 23 winners off his forehand. He will face either Stan Wawrinka or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the next round.
Other notable first-round results include wins for Pedro Martinez over Brandon Nakashima (7-5, 5-7, 6-4), Sebastian Korda over Matteo Arnaldi (3-6, 6-3, 6-2), and Hamad Medjedovic over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (7-5, 7-6(8)). Medjedovic will now face either defending champion Casper Ruud or Daniel Elahi Galan in the second round.
First Piper 