In the land of Oz, there once lived a wicked witch. She terrorized the land with her dark magic and evil ways. One day, a young girl named Dorothy and her faithful dog, Toto, found themselves in the midst of a tornado that swept them away to the magical land. As Dorothy and Toto landed in the mysterious land of Oz, they found themselves in a peculiar situation. Their house had landed on top of the wicked witch, squashing her beneath its weight. Though the incident was accidental, it was seen as a triumph by the people of Oz who had long suffered under the witch's reign of terror.
“We had to do it by ourselves,” he says. “We didn’t have a federation that took [the] cause for you or anything like that. We had to dig deep but it’s also what makes being here more admirable and exciting because I know where I came from, and it’s just a lot of hard work and dedication every day.”
We had to dig deep but it s also what makes being here more admirable and exciting because I know where I came from, and it s just a lot of hard work and dedication every day. After nearly two months of the European clay season, Rune has emerged as one of the most successful players, alongside his fellow 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
Though the incident was accidental, it was seen as a triumph by the people of Oz who had long suffered under the witch's reign of terror. Dorothy, unaware of what had transpired, stepped out of the house and was greeted by the grateful inhabitants of Oz. They praised her for unknowingly freeing them from the grasp of the wicked witch.
Holger Rune: ‘I think if everybody was the same, it would be a bit boring’
D uring the quarter-finals of the Italian Open last week in Rome, Holger Rune was deep in battle with Novak Djokovic on one of the most meaningful courts of the then No 1’s career. It is a measure of his talent that not only was he winning the encounter, but that it was not a surprise.
As Djokovic forced himself back into the match, however, Rune’s growing tension was palpable. It eventually exploded. When the umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, came down from his chair to rule one of Djokovic’s shots had touched the line, Rune was incensed. He called Lahyani an “absolute joke” and demanded to know whether umpires are penalised for their mistakes. As his team tried to calm him down, Rune slumped in his chair and sighed. “It’s always the umpire who makes me look like the bad guy,” he said.
Boris Becker: ‘Tennis is a different sport when you become the hunted’ Read moreAfter nearly two months of the European clay season, Rune has emerged as one of the most successful players, alongside his fellow 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. He has shown at the same time that he is one of the sport’s most unpredictable figures.
“It’s a fine balance,” says Rune of ensuring that his on-court intensity helps him. “Because people see it in different ways, which is fine, I respect it. But everybody’s different on the court, everybody plays differently and I think this is part of the game. I think if everybody was the same, it would be a bit boring. So, I like variety.”
Rune’s path towards the top of the game has been unusual. It is not just that Denmark tends not to produce top players, but there are barely any professional Danish tennis players at all. Rune is the only Dane inside the top 400 of the ATP rankings and only four others are inside the top 1000. Before Rune, Caroline Wozniacki was a similar Danish anomaly. Rune notes that no national federation helped guide him at the beginning of his career.
“We had to do it by ourselves,” he says. “We didn’t have a federation that took [the] cause for you or anything like that. We had to dig deep but it’s also what makes being here more admirable and exciting because I know where I came from, and it’s just a lot of hard work and dedication every day.”
While he has arrived in the top 10 quickly, Rune’s trajectory has been consistent. He was a junior No 1, winning the French Open boys title in 2019. As a professional, Rune’s career truly began after the 2020 Covid hiatus when old ATP ranking points were frozen, meaning it was much more difficult to scale the rankings. Still, Rune won five ATP Challenger events between 2021 and 2022 and he eventually overcame a significant cramping issue to nestle himself inside the top 100.
Holger Rune (left) after defeating Novak Djokovic in Rome. The Serb said of Rune: ‘He kind of reminds me a little bit [of me], the way he plays.’ Photograph: Insidefoto/Shutterstock
The most striking part of Rune’s game is how well-rounded it is. He is a tremendous athlete with great defence, solid and potent off both forehand and backhand wings, making it difficult for opponents to target any specific weakness. His serve has improved significantly but he is an excellent returner. “He kind of reminds me a little bit [of me], the way he plays,” said Djokovic in Rome.
Rune pairs his solid foundations with feel and instinctiveness, peppering opponents with drop shots and freely approaching the net, a style he describes as more risky but worthwhile. “I feel like these days every player is super powerful from the baseline and they stay there a lot. And I feel like mixing up the game is still really effective,” says Rune.
Last year, Rune offered a glimpse of his talent and potential, with both of his breakthrough tournaments occurring in the same city. First he reached his first major quarter-final at the French Open, picking off Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route. Five months later, he pulled off an even more outlandish achievement.
At the Paris Masters, Rune became the first ATP player to defeat five top-10 players in a single conventional tournament. After upsetting Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz (who retired in the second set tie-break due to injury) and Félix Auger-Aliassime, he produced the performance of his life to defeat Djokovic 7-5 in the third set of the final.
“It takes a lot,” says Rune on what he learned from the experience. “It’s not easy, I tell you. It’s a lot of hard work. If you stop doing the hard work, you’re finished, boom. And you have to be able to maintain your high level every time you step on the court.
“Today, for example, I practised with Rublev. I kept my level good in the first set, but then I stepped a little bit down and – boom – he killed me. You have to be able to stay there and even raise it if necessary.”
The Dane, currently ranked world No. 4, is set to return to competition this week at the China Open, hoping to snap a seven match losing streak dating back to a quarterfinal loss at the All England Club to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. Rune's slump in form can be traced back to physical struggles, having told Danish TV at Davis Cup earlier this month that he had a pinched nerve in the fifth lumbar vertebra in his spine since the clay-court season.
However, they soon discovered the unfortunate consequences of their liberation. The witch's feet were still visible, sticking out from under the house. The people of Oz were grateful to Dorothy for her unintentional act of heroism, but they were faced with a dilemma. How could they properly pay their respects to the fallen witch and rid themselves of her lingering presence? They decided to hold a ceremony to honor the wicked witch, acknowledging her power and the control she once held over them. In the days that followed, the people of Oz organized a grand funeral for the wicked witch. They gathered to pay their respects and bid farewell to the powerful sorceress who had haunted their land for so long. Dorothy, feeling a mix of guilt and relief, joined the ceremony, realizing the impact of her unintentional act. The funeral procession was somber and solemn as the people of Oz said their final goodbyes. They held no ill will towards the witch, understanding that her wickedness was a result of her own pain and struggles. The ceremony served as a reminder of the power of forgiveness and the importance of empathy, even towards those who have caused harm. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the people of Oz collectively decided to bury the witch's feet, finally ridding themselves of the last remnants of her presence. They hoped that this symbolic act would help them to move forward and rebuild their land free from the wicked witch's reign. As the wicked witch's feet were laid to rest, Dorothy and her newfound friends in Oz were able to embark on a new chapter together. The journey back home became the focus, with Dorothy realizing that her adventure in Oz taught her valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the power of unintended consequences. In the end, the wicked witch's feet under the house became a powerful symbol of redemption and the potential for good to triumph over evil. Though unintentional, Dorothy's actions had unknowingly freed the people of Oz from their oppressor, setting the stage for a brighter future..
Reviews for "Hexed Ground: The Eerie Unearthing of Witch's Feet in a House's Foundation"
1. Sarah - 2 stars
I have to say, "Wicked Witch Feet Under House" was a major disappointment for me. The storyline was thin, and the characters lacked depth. The supposed twists and turns were predictable and cliché. The writing itself felt rushed and amateurish, with numerous grammatical errors that distracted me from fully immersing myself in the story. Overall, I found this book to be a lackluster attempt at a fantasy novel, and I would not recommend it to others.
2. John - 1 star
I couldn't even finish reading "Wicked Witch Feet Under House". It was painfully slow-paced with no real plot development, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The characters were one-dimensional and uninteresting, and I found it difficult to care about their fates. The abundance of unnecessary descriptions and repetitive phrases just added to my frustration. This book was a complete waste of my time, and I regret picking it up.
3. Emily - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Wicked Witch Feet Under House" given all the buzz it received, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The world-building was weak, leaving me with more questions than answers. The protagonist was unlikable and lacked any redeeming qualities, making it difficult to root for her. Additionally, the pacing was off, with certain scenes dragging on while others were rushed. Overall, I found this book to be forgettable and I would not recommend it to fellow fantasy lovers.