Djokovic Stunned by Arnaldi in Madrid Open

Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of his 100th career title was cut short as he suffered a defeat against Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. Arnaldi prevailed over the Serb with scores of 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday.

Djokovic, the fourth seed, experienced his second consecutive early tournament exit, following his initial loss to Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo a couple of weeks prior.

Arnaldi, who holds the 44th position in the global rankings, celebrated only his second victory against a top-five player. Overwhelmed by his significant win, he expressed his excitement by writing ´OMG´ on the camera lens.

Despite relinquishing an initial 2-0 advantage, Arnaldi capitalized in the eighth game, successfully breaking Djokovic’s serve. The Italian tennis player concluded the first set in a swift 48 minutes.

Djokovic, a three-time former champion in Madrid, committed 20 unforced errors. By the match’s conclusion, his unforced error count had reached a total of 32.

“He has been my idol. I was happy to have the chance to compete against him, an opportunity I had never had before, except for one practice session. Competing against him on such a prominent stage felt like a victory in itself,” Arnaldi commented. He also displayed an engaging style of all-court tennis.

“However, recognizing that he might not be at his peak currently, I entered the court determined to play my best and aim for a victory, which I achieved. I’m still processing it all,” he added.

In another match, Lorenzo Musetti, who was playing his first match after getting to the final in Monte Carlo, defeated Argentina´s Tomas Etcheverry with a score of 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, and will now face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.

The Italian player is nearing his debut in the top 10, having entered the tournament ranked at a personal best of number 11.

Musetti acknowledged his efforts to avoid checking the ATP live rankings until he secures his place in the top-10 officially.

“I’m avoiding looking this week,” the 23-year-old mentioned, noting his rise to number nine in the live rankings on Saturday.

Madison Keys, the current Australian Open champion, faced a break while serving for the victory in the third round at 5-4 during the second set against Anna Kalinskaya. However, she regrouped and secured a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win in approximately one hour and 48 minutes.

Keys, the fifth seed, had previously lost to Kalinskaya earlier in the month in Charleston.

“I was aware that I needed to perform better, considering my previous defeat,” Keys stated.

Having reached the semi-finals in Madrid a year prior, Keys now anticipates facing either her fellow American Emma Navarro or Croatia´s Donna Vekic in the round of 16.

Coco Gauff, the American fourth seed, secured an easy victory over her fellow countrywoman Ann Li with scores of 6-2, 6-3. She is now scheduled for a clash in the last 16 against Swiss Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic.

Mirra Andreeva, the seventh-seeded teenager, maintained her impressive performance in this season’s WTA 1000 tournaments. She advanced to the fourth round with a convincing 7-5, 6-3 win against Magdalena Frech, the 27th seed from Poland.

The 17-year-old Russian player, who secured consecutive titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, is preparing to compete against Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva for a chance to reach her second consecutive Madrid quarter-final.