For almost two sets Matteo Arnaldi played on a cloud, near Paradiso. He was almost about to touch it, but when he got within a few centimeters he was pulled down by another who, due to his nationality and history, has a certain familiarity with gods and demigods. Stefanos Tsitsipas had to cross the Styx to get the better of the young Italian in the round of 16 at Roland Garros, and he did it not only because of his skill but also because Matteo didn’t grab the opportunity in the moments decisive. Like those three break points at 5-3 in his favor in the second, with the first already in the bag, to go 2 sets ahead, and another opportunity at 5-4 and serve. Four unexploited set points in all, and Arnaldi will probably think about this quite a bit.
tsitsipas wins
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Tsitsipas goes to the quarterfinals (3-6 7-6 (4) 6-2 6-2 for the number 9 seed), who now finds Alcaraz. But the blue, Davis champion 2023, has demonstrated in this Roland Garros, first by eliminating Rublev and then in the challenge against the Greek, that he is now ready to compete on equal terms with the strongest. Arnaldi demonstrated for two sets that the monstrous performance against the Russian, number six in the world, in the third round, was not a coincidence and was not just “merit” of Andrey’s follies. For over an hour and a half the 23-year-old from Sanremo, n.35 in the world, played incredible tennis, from Playstation. A ferocious pace, perhaps too fast given how it ended, but tremendously effective. Very fast movements on the pitch, full arm, endless winners, deadly down the line with Tsitsipas in total confusion in the face of all this. True, the Greek also wasted a lot of break points (eight, before converting the first), but until 5-4 in the second set, Lenglen was all in the dark, due to Arnaldi’s talented shots.
arnalds and waste
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Then those unconverted set points, the inevitable physical and mental decline due to the wasted opportunity and a Tsitsipas, good at making the storm pass, took over as in the best moments. There remains the regret that a slam quarter-final was within reach, at a certain point, for Arnaldi, but also the satisfaction of having beaten the no. 6 in the world and made someone suffer who reached the final in Paris.
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alcaraz without problems
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In the quarter-finals, Tsitsipas will challenge Carlos Alcaraz, world number three, who swept away the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime without too many problems (6-3 6-3 6-1 score). In theory Alcaraz wouldn’t be in shape, he would have left for this Roland Garros not with the aim of winning it but to do the best possible, with that pain in his forearm that doesn’t leave him at peace. Maybe, but the phenomenon from Murcia, for the third consecutive time among the best 8 in Paris, seems definitely on the ball, and if he lost a set against De Jong, in the second round, it was due to one of those usual moments of blackouts that sometimes happen to him during matches. Against Tsitsipas, on paper, it could be a great match, even if the precedents aren’t exactly encouraging for the Greek: 5-0 in favor of Carlitos.
