Holger Rune hits out at 'unsportsmanlike' Spanish fans after Denmark's Davis Cup defeat

Denmark looked set for a shock victory over their hosts as they had taken a 2-0 lead in the rubber after Rune and Elmer Moller won their singles matches on the opening day before Spain reduced the deficit when Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar won the doubles.

And the 2-0 lead soon became 2-2 when Martinez defeated Rune 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) in a match where the tempers flared as Spain captain David Ferrer and the spectators at the Club de Tenis Puente Romano got involved.

Earlier in the match, Rune taunted the crowd as he pointed to his ear when winning a finger as if to ask, 'Where is the noise now?' and those in the stands responded by booing him whenever he made a mistake.

But the frustration started to get to Rune and he smashed two balls out of the stadium, which earned him a warning, and at the start of the third set, things exploded when Ferrer also received a warning for encouraging his players and he then had a fiery exchange with the supervisor.

"Listen to me. In the first set, he cursed the fans, and then he threw two balls, and you didn't even call a penalty ball," the Spanish captain argued.

"And now I'm encouraging him, and this guy comes to me to say something. Don't even think about saying anything to me! I'm speaking to you in Spanish because you understand me perfectly. When he hits that ball, it has to be a penalty ball, and he said 'f*** off' to the crowd."

Martinez managed to see out the match and a visibly upset Rune refused to shake hands with the chair umpire at the conclusion of the encounter.

When asked about it after the match, Rune stated: "He didn't deserve it. I think that's pretty obvious with so many mistakes. I don't think it was very good work."

The reigning world No 11 also had a dig at the Spanish fans during an interview with Ekstrabladet, saying: "I just think that there is a difference between Danish and Spanish manners. There's a bit of a difference in upbringing.

"But that's part of it, and I've been through worse. There are some things that are obviously a bit unsportsmanlike. But again, I've been through worse."

Spain completed the 3-2 comeback victory when Pablo Carreno Busta defeated Moller in straight sets.

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