World No. 44 Matteo Arnaldi shared his thoughts after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round of the Madrid tournament with a score of 6/3, 7/5. This significant victory marks the Italian`s first-ever appearance in the quarterfinals of a clay court Masters event.
“I am very happy; I played a great match,” Arnaldi stated. “I know Frances well – we had a tough battle at Wimbledon, so this victory feels like revenge for that match. I played confidently and managed to handle the key moments effectively.”
Recalling a tricky part of the match, he added, “I didn`t manage to serve out the match when leading 5/4 in the second set, but I immediately broke back in the very next game. This year I`ve had big wins like against Djokovic, and two years ago against Ruud, but after the Ruud match, I lost in straight sets, so I knew I needed to make improvements.”
Looking ahead to the next challenge, Arnaldi emphasized the importance of maintaining focus. “Now the main thing is to stay focused, continue to improve my game, and work very hard. Both recent matches have been real fights, and I am eagerly looking forward to competing in the next round.”
