Australian Open 2024: Alex de Minaur defeats Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets
Alex de Minaur has brushed aside dangerous Italian Matteo Arnaldi as Australian tennis fans dare to dream of a deep run from the tenth seed at Melbourne Park.
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Alex de Minaur says his second-round demolition of Matteo Arnaldi was “a little bit of revenge” for Australia’s Davis Cup semi-final loss to Italy in November.
The Aussie world No. 10 thrashed his 22-year-old opponent 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena to advance to the third round after taking time to adjust to the under-roof conditions forced by the wet weather on Wednesday.
RECAP THE MATCH LIVE BELOW
After also struggling with inconsistency against Milos Raonic on Monday night, de Minaur landed only 51 per cent of his first serves in the opening set but found rhythm in the second to hand Arnaldi a bagel before carrying on to victory.
de Minaur said the Davis Cup defeat in which Arnaldi had a hand by defeating Alexei Popyrin in a singles rubber, before he lost to Italian star Jannik Sinner, was on his mind heading into the clash.
“It’s no secret it was heartbreaking at the end of the year losing to Italy,” he said on court after the match.
“I told the (Australian) boys we’re going to be back here, we’re going to be a better chance … today was a little bit of revenge there and I’m happy to be in the next round.”
de Minaur will face either Russian world No. 65 Pavel Kotov or Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli in the third round, after the latter upset 18th seed Nicolas Jarry in a thrilling five-set clash on Monday.
“Hopefully they play for five hours today,” de Minaur joked.
“They’re both quality players … they’re both dangerous players playing with a lot of confidence.
“Again, I’ve got to focus on my side of the court, put my head down and hopefully do my thing.”
de Minaur and Arnaldi tested each other’s serves early as the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena appeared to affect their accuracy.
But the Australian was the first to win a break point and put the foot down during a clinical 30-minute second set in which the Italian world No. 41 lost his touch.
Arnaldi finished with 52 unforced errors to de Minaur’s 29 as he missed three in five first serves against the powerful returner.
He had two break points in the opening game of the second set but squandered them, with a miscued drop shot at 30-40 allowing the Australian to race to the net and crash home a backhand winner before going on to hold his serve.
3.30PM: DE MINAUR THROUGH!
Davis Cup revenge secured.
Alex De Minaur has dismantled Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets to secure his passage to the Australian Open third round.
The Aussie tenth seed won 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, brushing aside the Italian in two hours.
He will next meet either qualifier Flavio Cobolli or Pavel Kotov before a potential fourth-round clash against Andrey Rublev or 2023 quarter-finalist Sebastian Korda.
3.13PM: RINALDI HITS BACK IN THIRD SET
I don’t know if anyone expected this match to be as one-sided as it has been.
But there could be life! Rinaldi hits back with a crucial break, after slipping 0-3 down in the third set.
He has a lovely array of ground strokes but he has simply struggled with the Demon’s relentless defence. Points get extended, mistakes get made, and suddenly you find yourself on the back foot.
But on this occasion it is De Minaur who falters, with a dodgy forehand finding the net and giving the Italian his first break of the match.
It’s on serve, with De Minaur leading 3-2, and holding a two-sets-to-love lead.
3.01PM: DEMON COMES UP BIG IN CLUTCH MOMENTS
Not for the first time today, Alex de Minaur has come up with the big play at the right moment.
For the third set in a row, De Minaur faced a break point in his opening service game. But he’s come up clutch every time, saving five break points from Arnaldi so far this match.
Key errors are killing the Italian.
“It’s the Italian that blinks, again, in the big moment,” says Courier.
Another break follows, and an easy hold, and just like that De Minaur leads 3-0 in what looks like it will be the final set of this match.
Has Arnaldi got anything left in the tank to mount a charge?
2.46PM: DEMON CHARGING TOWARDS THIRD ROUND
- Ed Bourke
Alex de Minaur is surging towards the third round after handing Matteo Arnaldi a bagel in the second set as the Italian’s resistance completely disintegrated in an error-riddled half-hour.
The 22-year-old was level with de Minaur for unforced errors after the first set, but gave away 14 more in the second as he tried to be more assertive than the world No. 10.
Arnaldi had two break points in the first game of the second set but failed to take his chance.
At 30-40, the Italian gave de Minaur too much time to retrieve a drop shot and the Australian raced to the net to crash home a backhand winner and bring the game back to deuce.
2.35PM: YOUNG STAR ‘CAPITULATES’ AGAINST DEMON
Matteo Arnaldi is unravelling here.
He’s gone down a double break to De Minaur and the second set is quickly evaporating before his eyes.
“That game looked like capitulation,” says Jim Courier.
“Good news for de Minaur. Keep doing what you’re doing. Nothing to worry about on that end of the court rather than next ball, here we go!”
De Minaur is serving for a 5-0 lead.
2.25PM: ‘HE’S GOING TO HIT HIMSELF OUT OF THIS MATCH’
The pressure is starting to tell on the young Italian, who pressed De Minaur hard in the opening game of the second set – desperate to make up for his first set stumbles.
Instead, De Minaur held. And you could see the mental impact it has had on Rinaldi.
“This happens a lot when you had your opportunity and then you think you have to go bigger and bigger,” says Todd Woodbridge after an Arnaldi forehand sails wide, bringing up a break point.
“That’s just the wrong shot at the wrong time and it brings de Minaur, his chance to get an early break.”
The Australian converts off another Arnaldi error, following a gruelling point.
“He has to be willing to reset points after he’s hit what he thinks is a point- ending shot and it comes back because of Demon’s defence,” adds Jim Courier.
“He’s just got to hit the restart button and be willing to grind, otherwise he’s going to hit himself out of this match quickly.”
In no time, De Minaur races to a 3-0 lead in the second set.
2.15PM: DEMON TAKES FIRST SET IN BRUTAL FASHION
- Ed Bourke
Alex de Minaur has made a big statement with two brutal forehand returns to break Matteo Arnaldi a second time and take out the first set 6-3 in 43 minutes.
The Italian world No. 41 has managed to land only 41 per cent of his first serves and became too cautious with his second in the final game of the set as de Minaur got on the front foot and crashed a forehand winner down the line.
de Minaur then repeated the dose off Arnaldi’s first serve to win a break point before closing out the set.
The Aussie began to find rhythm with his own serve after a wayward start to the match, but still had to save a break point at 5-3 as Arnaldi pushed him in a seven-minute long service game.
2.10PM: DE MINAUR ESCAPES ANOTHER TRICKY GAME
Demon saves another break point on his serve, and is now just one game away from taking the opening set.
“This is a tough match for Alex, but it has to feel great for him to be able to be in control so much more in this match-up than he was against Raonic,” says Jim Courier.
“Having experienced matches like this, playing people that didn’t let me play, it felt so freeing to actually be able to set points up and construct things, rather than just react to missiles coming at you.”
1.55PM: UNDER-THE-ROOF TENNIS CAUSING ISSUES
- Ed Bourke
Alex de Minaur has gained the ascendancy early over Matteo Arnaldi as both players struggle with their serve while adjusting to the conditions under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena.
The Australian world no. 10 landed only a quarter of his first serves in his opening service game while Arnaldi went at just 43 per cent as both received an early chance with a break point.
de Minaur piled pressure on Arnaldi’s serve to win three more break points in the third game, winning a big point at 30-40 with a superb forehand lob which bounced just inside the baseline.
The 22-year-old Italian tried to answer the lob with an audacious “tweener” shot but it fell short, before de Minaur held serve to claim a 3-1 advantage.
1.45PM: DEMON GRABS EARLY BREAK
That’s a good nerve-settler for the Australian, who gets the early break by way of a delightful lob which Lleyton Hewitt would’ve been proud of.
De Minaur brought up three break points – and was able to convert on the third.
He’s starting to get the rhythm of this contest, and with a quick hold soon after he has opened up a 3-1 lead.
“That’s a great start in this match for de Minaur. Survives challenge to his opening service game and starts to get a bit more rhythm with his serve and his second attempt at it,” says Jim Courier.
“He’s come out of the blocks hot in 2024.”
1.40PM: ARNALDI SAVES EARLY DEMON BREAK CHANCE
Alex de Minaur has shot out the blocks early, and almost had a dream start, but it’s clear he’s going to have a fight on his hand with the rising Italian star.
Arnaldi offered up an early break point by way of a double fault – before saving it with a monster forehand, and then mopping up the opening game.
Arnaldi’s groundstrokes are certainly dangerous however, and while he doesn’t have the booming serve of Milos Raonic, he’s much better around the court. So this is going to be a very different match to what de Minaur went through a few nights ago.
But it is on serve at 1-1 early on.
1.25PM: DEMON ON COURT FOR SECOND ROUND CLASH
Alex de Minaur is on court a little earlier than expected today – following the stunning straight sets defeat of sixth seed Ons Jabeur in the first match on Rod Laver Arena.
The Australian will be firm favourite to advance to the third round when he takes on Matteo Arnaldi, and he should be fresh after a shortened round-one match against Milos Raonic, who retired with a hip complaint.
Arnaldi defeated Australian Adam Walton in the first round.
“Alex extremely relaxed. A lot of this match will be played on his terms,” said Australian great Lleyton Hewitt.
“It is about obviously holding his service games and going after the Arnaldi second serve when he gets the opportunity.
1PM: ‘WE WANT REVENGE’: LLEYTON’S DEMON PLEDGE
Alex de Minaur will have extra motivation when he faces Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi later this afternoon.
Not only is a spot in the Australian third round on offer, but Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt believes the world No.10 will be out for revenge after last year’s Davis Cup heartache.
Arnaldi put Italy on the path to victory in the Davis Cup semi-finals when he toppled Alexei Popyrin, before De Minaur was rolled by Jannik Sinner.
And the defeat still stings the Australians, with Hewitt admitting to having nightmares about the missed opportunities as he suggested de Minaur will want to take it out on the rising Italian star.
“We want revenge. I’m still having nightmares where Arnaldi won a cliffhanger against Alexei Popyrin,” Hewitt, Australia’s Davis Cup captain, said on Wednesday.
“If we were somehow able to win that match we would have held up the Davis Cup trophy. That’s been tough. That will be in the back of Alex’s mind.”
“It was a tough pill to swallow. To come so close yet again two years in a row. I know how much it hurts the boys. That will drive them on to bigger and better things.”
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Originally published as Australian Open 2024: Alex de Minaur defeats Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets
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