Masters 1000 Toronto: Arnaldi beats Schoolkate and gives himself to Zverev

Matthew Arnaldi’s journey to the Toronto Masters 1000 began with a success. The Ligurian tennis player, the last seed in the seeding, beat Tristan Schoolkate, world number 103, in three sets with a final score of 6-3 3-6 6-3 after two hours of play.

In the first set the balance held until 3-3: in the seventh game Arnaldi nullified a delicate break point before taking Schoolkate off the serve in the next game and closing out the first set on serve (6-3).

The Azure saves three more break points at the start of the second set, but in the fourth game he has to concede: the Australian gets the first break of the match, confirms it on serve (4-1) and keeps it until the final 6-3 with which he puts the match back on even terms.

Immediate Arnaldi’s reaction in the third set: the San Remo player flies away to 5-1, loses a break lead but in the ninth game closes the score on serve at the first match point. Arnaldi thus advances to the third round of the ‘National Bank Open’ where he will face Alexander Zverev, who defeated Adam Walton in the ’opener.