Can we keep our feet on the ground after finishing off the number 8 seed with a backhand passing shot that looks like it came straight from Rafael Nadal’s racket? This is the question that will have to be answered by Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who defeated Holger Rune this Thursday in the second round of the Australian Open after a completely controlled four-set match (7-6, 6-4). , 4-6, 6-3). A result which is in line with the good start to the fortnight of French tennis in Australia, although we may regret the defeat of Arthur Fils against Tallon Griekspoor (future opponent of Cazaux) a little earlier in the morning. This deprives us of an Arthuresque derby and the certainty of a French presence in the round of 16.
To save the honor of the Arthurs, the virtual 101st in the world will have to remove a client who is certainly less strong on paper but no less tough. In our memories of the last Masters 1000 at Bercy, Griekspoor was very close to eliminating Novak Djokovic, then untouchable. It was up to Cazaux to prove in the next round that Rune’s elimination was more than just a relic of their old habits among the youth – where the Frenchman had beaten him five times out of six.
“He has no weaknesses”
It’s difficult not to be tempted to make the link between the past between the two young men and the way in which Cazaux got into his opponent’s skull, well before the start of the match. With hindsight, Rune’s comments at the post-victory press conference in the first round oozed disproportionate distrust towards a man ranked 114 places lower. Or simply lucidity. “I haven’t seen him play in a while, but from what I remember, he had a good backhand, and he did a lot of things with his forehand as well. […] It seems to me that he doesn’t really have any weaknesses. »
“Since then, we have changed a lot of things in our games,” the Frenchman modestly replied in the post-victory conference this Thursday. And Rune became a superstar. »
While his friend Holger was building a reputation at the heights of tennis, Cazaux was lurking in the shadows of the challenger circuit, where he spent most of 2023. Not a tragedy in itself, quite the contrary : on the secondary circuit, Arthur Cazaux was able to taste the joys of continuity, as opposed to 2021 and 2022, years marked by major injuries (teared abs, pubalgia).
These had prevented him from defending his status as a rising star after his final at the Australian Junior Open four years ago. In Challenger, he won three titles and lost a handful of finals, including one against Andy Murray in Nottingham, last spring, “a great experience”. And before Melbourne, he won in Nouméa by riding Couacaud in the final (and Paire in the quarters), making him an undefeated man in 2024. And this is no coincidence.
“He worked quite a bit physically at the end of the season, during the Masters Next Gen [qu’il était déçu d’avoir manqué de peu] and after, so between the end of November and December, tells us Philippe Reboul, captain of the Stade Toulousain Pro Team, for whom Cazaux plays in Interclubs when he can. He underwent a lot of physical preparation. »
As physically strong as Arthur Son
Very rigorous in-depth work carried out with the blessing of his coach Stéphane Huet and visible to the naked eye. In two years, he has gained muscle to the point of entering the very handsome baby category, a physique which he plays a lot on Insta and Tik Tok, even if it serves him above all to throw aces at 220 on the face of his adversaries. But more than his protruding pectorals, it’s the man’s body, very advantageous defensively against Rune, who has impressed since adolescence.
With Arthur Fils, we have the best results [aux tests], Cazaux told AFP. I have always had physical predispositions. On the speed and endurance tests, I am first. I was also at the NextGen Masters. »
Unplayable in defense, therefore, the Toulouse player can still improve his attacking game. Against Rune, he was sometimes hesitant when going to the net to finish. The backline remains its best ally for the moment. “What he tries to work on with Stéphane Huet,” continues Reboul, “is to take the ball earlier at times, to come a little more on the fly to finish, because he is quite skilful and he takes space at the net. He will gradually improve the forward play. »
For the rest, there is not much to say about the Frenchman’s technical field, which should allow him to easily achieve his short-term objective of entering the ATP top 50. “He passed a lot of firsts at 210 km/h,” continues the Stade Toulouse coach. Today I found him super strong on the backhand. On the forehand, he is strong too. » A game without weaknesses, in fact.