Matteo Arnaldi advances in Vienna, Luciano Darderi eliminated

Winning debut for Matteo Arnaldi at the Vienna ATP 500. After making it through the qualifiers, the Ligurian, world number 72, beat qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic, number 65 in the ATP rankings, in two sets with a final score of 7-5 6-4 after an hour and 49 minutes of play.

The first set is decided in the final stages: the Blue saves three set points in the 10th game, before taking the serve away from the American in the next game and closing out the partial on serve (7-5). In the second set it is still a single break that makes the difference, obtained by Arnaldi in the ninth game. Thanks to this victory, the Sanremese flies to the round of 16 of the”Erste Bank Open‘.

In contrast, Luciano Darderi’s adventure stops immediately. The Italian-Argentinean, number 26 in the ATP rankings, surrendered in two sets to Brandon Nakashima, number 32 in the world, who prevailed with a final score of 6-2 7-5 after one’hour and 34 minutes of play.

The Italian-Argentinean, number 26 in the ATP rankings, surrendered in two sets to Brandon Nakashima, number 32 in the world, who prevailed with a final score of 6-2 7-5 after one’hour and 34 minutes of play.

One-sided first set for the American, who took the serve away from the Blue as early as the second game and repeated the break lead in the eighth game that earned him the first partial (6-2). The second set was much harder fought but in the twelfth game Nakashima placed the break with which he filed the case.