Internationals of Italy: Matteo Arnaldi does not demerit but the derby goes to Lorenzo Musetti

Lorenzo Musetti beats Matteo Arnaldi in two sets to advance to the third round

Lorenzo Musetti beat Matteo Arnaldi in the Italian derby that marked Sunday at the Internazionali d’Italia in Rome. Despite the 80 position difference in ranking, the Carrara-based tennis player had no easy life against the Sanremo native, closing on 6-4, 6-4 after an hour and fifty-three minutes of play.

In the first set Musetti nullified a break point on 1-2, retaining his service and snatching it from his opponent in the next game to create the decisive gap to win fraction. In the second set, on the other hand, the break came in the third game, with Arnaldi, however, not giving up until the end, also nullifying one of the two match points of his more highly ranked opponent before surrendering amid the applause of the Rome crowd.

Thus, Musetti returned to success after the empty passage in Madrid, where he had gone out right in the second round at the hands of ATP No. 101 Yannick Hanfmann.