Matteo Arnaldi recovers Gaston and hits the round of 16 in Geneva

Matteo Arnaldi is off to a good start at the Geneva ATP 250. After a surprising elimination in the first round at the Internazionali d’Italia, the tennist from Liguria redeemed himself in his debut at the ‘Gonet Geneva Open’, defeating Hugo Gaston, world number 74, in a comeback.

The Blue won with a final score of 6-7 6-4 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours of struggle. In the first set it was the serve that dominated. The’only one to concede break points – two – was Gaston but the Frenchman saved himself and made the tie-break his own (8-6).

With the momentum in his favor, Gaston pulled ahead by a break in the second set, taking the serve away from Arnaldi in the sixth game (2-4). Here, however, came the Sanremese’s angry reaction, stringing together a run of four consecutive games (6-4), putting everything back on an even keel.

In the third and decisive set Arnaldi immediately escaped to 2-0 but was taken back by the transalpine (2-2). After another exchange of breaks, the’decisive stretch was signed by the Azure at 4-4, winning the last two games (6-4) and thus reaching the round of 16.