Matteo Arnaldi fails to subvert the prediction against Daniil Medvedev. The Sanremo player exits the stage in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Madrid with a score of 2-6 6-4 6-4: it will therefore be the Russian who will challenge the American Sebastian Korda in the third round. Yet it is a match in which the Italian manages, for large stretches, to give the sensation of being able to land that same shot that, a year ago, against Casper Ruud, launched him among the names under the magnifying glass of Italian tennis.
The start is at least complex for the Italian, because Medvedev goes up to 0-30 in Arnaldi’s opening innings only to then see the Ligurian win the next four points. Immediately afterwards, at 1-1, the Russian also has three break points, but between first and second the blue does not allow any space and then uses his backhand in order to get to 2-1. And here the Arnaldi show begins. The break, it must be said, came with a series of errors by Medvedev, who decidedly did not register his backhand to let his opponent go 3-1. Even at 4-2 the Italian recovers from 0-30, this time also putting in a nice short ball-lob scheme at 30 all. The Sanremo player then in the eighth game he enters another dimension and drives the Russian crazy to take the lead 6-2.
In the second partial, things change in a rather evident way. The second game seems to be the one in which Arnaldi can go away, but after an extraordinary point Medvedev uses the first and subsequent shots to close the door. The real turning point, however, is the one that occurs at 2-2, when an empty pass causes the Ligurian to lose serve to zero and send the Russian to 3-2. After a couple of interlocutory games, Arnaldi has the opportunity to get close to 4-4, but misses a not difficult forehand return on his opponent’s second. And the number 4 in the world doesn’t have to be prayed for in putting what remains into the farm: 6-4.
Sinner leaves only 3 games to Sonego: he advances to Madrid in just over an hour
The start of the third set is really negative for the Italian, who immediately suffers the break with a failed backhand, double fault (and Medvedev who sees a second one from Arnaldi outside calling it, something that no one else had done in the meantime) and another backhand outside. This time the Russian shows no signs of giving in, and indeed at 3-1 he comes close to a double break. Arnaldi resorts to the service, despite some minor discomfort in his ankle (which, however, does not require any kind of intervention). At 5-3 Medvedev has a match point due to a double fault by the Italian, who however saves himself with a serve and volley. At 5-4, however, there is nothing to be done: number 4 ATP goes to the third round.
In the two hours and 3 minutes of the match the thermometer turned out to be Medvedev’s first. 82% in total with it, even 100% for the third set. A match, this one, really decided on a few details, but which confirms Arnaldi’s excellent versatility both with the big players and on almost all surfaces.
