In Washington, Matteo Arnaldi wins derby with Lorenzo Sonego

In the all-Italian second-round derby on the concrete at the Washington ATP 500, Matteo Arnaldi, world number 44, beat Lorenzo Sonego, number 37, with a double 7-5 in just over two hours.

Matteo breaks right away in the opening game, then saves a counterbreak ball in the next game, misses one of the double break at 3-1, and then gets caught up at 4-4. Sonego, however, after the comeback surrenders service at 5-5 and then also the first set.

The second set is incredibly a carbon copy of the first both in terms of scoring sequence and even in terms of break points saved: missing only the one Arnaldi had saved at 1-0 in the first set.

Arnaldi in the round of 16 will meet the winner between U.S. Taylor Fritz, the No. 1 seed in the Washington Open, and Australian Aleksandar Vukic.