By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, June 2, 2024
Stefanos Tsitsipas saved four set points storming past Matteo Arnaldi 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-2 into his fourth Roland Garros quarterfinal.
Photo credit: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Mastering majors requires calm when volatility comes.
Hazardous tremors struck Court Suzanne Lenglen as Matteo Arnaldi held set points to seize a two-set lead over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
More: Super Fan Saves Alex de Minaur
The 2021 French Open finalist responded by reclaiming the red clay.
Tsitsipas saved four set points stomping out the uprising, storming past Arnaldi 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-2 into his fourth Roland Garros quarterfinal.
Teetering on the ledge of a deep deficit, Tsitsipas rallied from a 6-3, 5-3, 15-40 deficit to ignite this inspired comeback.
The ninth-seeded Tsitsipas will face Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz for a semifinal spot.
The third-seeded Alcaraz swept 21st-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Former world No. 1 Alcaraz is 5-0 lifetime against Tsitsipas, including a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) sweep of the Greek in the 2023 Roland Garros quarterfinals.
On his third match point today, Tsitsipas shoved Arnaldi into the corner in chase mode then slashed a backhand bolt crosscourt to close a committed comeback in three hours, 11 minutes.
Thrusting his arms in the air, Tsitsipas tossed his head back and broke into a wide smile. Tsitsipas had cause for celebration.
A tough Arnaldi, who toppled world No. 6 Madrid champion Andrey Rublev in round three for the only Top 10 upset of week one on the men’s side, saved the first eight break points he faced today hitting some tremendous running strikes.
Mounting break point failures may have haunted Tsitsipas in the past.
Not today. The lanky Greek stuck with it, trusted his shots, turned the match around and punished the talented world No. 35 over the final two sets.
Growing stronger as the match progressed, Tsitsipas pounded 64 winners against 42 unforced errors and converted five of 21 break-point chances. Arnaldi, who looked depleted in the latter stages of the fourth set, finished with 47 winners against 38 errors.
"Was a good match," Arnaldi said. "I mean, it's tough. It's tough to digest, because I was very close to go two sets to love up, and it's completely different match after that...
"I played a good tournament. I'm happy for that. My level is increasing. That's the most important thing."
The three-time Monte-Carlo champion struggled to read the Arnaldi forehand at times. Arnaldi wrong-footed the Greek, hitting a forehand down the line behind him, for game point then spike a serve winner holding for a one-set, 5-3 lead after 78 minutes.
Serving for a two-set lead at 5-4, Arnaldi was challenging the Greek’s heavy forehand and paid a price as Tsitsipas rifled a forehand return winner.
On his fourth set point, Arnaldi sailed a running backhand well long.
Blowing on his hand, Arnaldi netted his first double fault to face a ninth break point.
After nearly two sets of break-point frustration, Tsitsipas finally broke through to level at 5-all after Arnaldi sailed a forehand.
The set escalated into the tiebreaker.
The Italian No. 3 slid a backhand down the line to go up 4-3, but that was the last point he would win in the breaker.
Tsitsipas answered with two biting winners and Arnaldi, showing the jitters, hit a more drop shot then looped a lob that lacked lift. Tsitsipas threw down a smash for set points at 6-4. Tsitsipas snatched the tiebreaker and second set on a forehand error.
Festering frustration over his inability to close cost Arnaldi, who went down double break point to start the third set.
On the second break point, Arnaldi tried to serve-and-volley, but Tsitsipas was all over it. Turning his shoulders into his strike, Tsitsipas whipped a backhand return pass down the line, breaking with a bang to start the third.
Swinging more freely off his one-handed backhand, Tsitsipas stepped into the court and spun a backhand strike down the line to wrap up the third set after two hours, 33 minutes of play.
By then, Tstisipas looked in total command.
The edge came off Arnaldi, who misfired on a wild forehand then framed a forehand ending a seven-minute game as Tsitsipas broke to start the fourth set.
Reading the Italian’s serve, Tstisipas was taking menacing cuts off both wings. The man in black rattled out another error for his fifth break of the day and a 3-0 third-set lead.
Opening the court with sharp angled forehands, Tsitsipas closed in three hours, 11 minutes with a backhand strike.