Jenson Brooksby defeats Holger Rune in Tokyo to improve to 9-1 in ATP quarterfinal matches

Jenson Brooksby has a unique game, and in Tokyo on Sunday he continued to build on a unique stat, improving to 9-1 in his career in ATP quarterfinal matches with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Holger Rune.

The 24-year-old American was asked in his on-court interview about the stat, and he came up with a possible explanation for it.

"Once I get on a roll from a couple of matches, I just think I'm really able to get into my zone. I think that's one of my big strengths," he said. "I don't like to think about the records and stuff, but I think that shows."

And there's more—in his only career loss in an ATP quarterfinal, a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 defeat to Christopher O'Connell in San Diego in 2022, he actually held two match points with the Australian serving at 3-5 in the third set.

JENSON BROOKSBY IN ATP QUARTERFINALS: 9-1

• d. Gojowczyk in '21 Newport QFs, 6-0, 6-3
• d. Millman in '21 Washington D.C. QFs, 6-1, 6-2
• d. Davidovich Fokina in '21 Antwerp QFs, 7-5, 6-0
• d. Thompson in '22 Dallas QFs, 6-3, 6-0
• d. Isner in '22 Atlanta QFs, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
• l. to O'Connell in '22 San Diego QFs, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
• d. Norrie in '22 Seoul QFs, walkover (illness)
• d. Halys in '23 Auckland QFs, 7-6, 7-6
• d. Kovacevic in '25 Houston QFs, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
• d. Evans in '25 Eastbourne QFs, 6-2, 6-3
• d. Rune in '25 Tokyo QFs, 6-3, 6-3

Brooksby is actually through to the milestone 10th ATP semifinal of his career in Tokyo—he also got one walkover in an ATP quarterfinal, at Seoul in 2022, which doesn't count towards win-loss records.

Rune and Brooksby went toe-to-toe with their big groundstrokes from the start on Sunday, but Brooksby drew first blood—from 2-3 in the first set, he reeled off five games in a row to build a 6-3, 1-0 lead.

Rune struck back with three games of his own to go up 3-1 in the second set, but Brooksby caught fire again with another five games in a row from there to snatch the one-hour, 30-minute victory.

At the end of the day, Brooksby was just too solid, finishing with an almost-even 10 winners to 12 unforced errors in the match. Meanwhile, Rune had 15 more unforced errors (35) than winners (20).

The two were playing each other for the first time.

"I thought I had a pretty good plan on him coming out here," Brooksby said. "I had never played him before, but I think that's good maybe, someone who hasn't faced my unique skills, I guess. I had a good rhythm from the first two matches and thought I was playing really good tennis, and I think I just stayed a little bit more consistent today."

The No. 86-ranked American's victory over the No. 11-ranked Rune was his fifth Top 20 win of the year, after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 18) at Indian Wells, Tommy Paul (No. 13) and Frances Tiafoe (No. 17) in Houston and Ugo Humbert (No. 20) at Eastbourne.

It was also the milestone 10th Top 20 win of his career.

Things will get tougher for Brooksby moving forward as he takes on the world No. 5, Taylor Fritz, in an all-American semifinal. Fritz won an all-American quarterfinal against Sebastian Korda, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

The two have met three times before, with Brooksby winning their first meeting at the 2021 US Open, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (10), 7-5, 6-2, but Fritz winning their two meetings so far this year, in the first round of the Australian Open (6-2, 6-0, 6-3) and in the final of Eastbourne (7-5, 6-1).