Key events
Arnaldi saves two further break points, then another with a lovely delicate chop from the corner, and an ace eventually secures the hold which keeps set three alive. Tistsipas leads 3-6 7-6 2-1.
At 30-all, Auger-Aliassime has a chance, and when he nails a decent backhand, Alcaraz, advancing, is in trouble. But he somehow hops into a pick-up that sends the ball over the net, just, from there he serves out, and that’s the first set over at 6-3! The Wimbledon champ can play must better than this, but he’s still been good enough. Meantime Arnaldi, down two points for a double break, saves the first … and the second. He’s not going away, but Tsitsipas’ forehand is the key shot in the match now.
Auger-Aliassime saves three break points but can’t handle a third, Alcaraz seizing upon a shorter ball to secure a 5-3 lead; he’ll now serve for the first set.
On Lenglen, both players take a break and on their return, Arnaldi finds himself down 15-40; he saves the first break point but not the second, Tsitsipas mashing a backhand winner for 1-0 in the third, and it may just be that momentum has switched here, the more experienced man in control.
On Chatrier, Auger-Aliassime and Alcaraz are level at 3-3, the Spaniard hitting it hard enough to suggest his forearm is fully healed.
Arnaldi is so solid, annihilating a backhand winner down the line for 4-3. This is such an engrossing contest, forehand and service excellence from Tsitsipas giving him 5-4. A fine rally follows, both men missing chances to win it, but it’s Arnaldi who errs first, missing a highish volley, he then wallops a forehand wide, and we’re at one set apiece! Tsitsipas found a way there, and the youngster will have to calm himself having lost a set he’ll feel he should’ve won; I can’t wait to see how this shakes out.
Arnaldi’s got such presence on the court and he does a fine job of making 6-6, pointing directly at his opponent before securing an immediate mini-break; he then goes long on the forehand for 1-1.
Up 2-1, Alcaraz gets himself break point on advantage, only to net a forehand, then an exchange of drop-shot winners returns us to deuce; Auger-Aliassime eventually holds for 2-2. On Lenglen, meanwhile, Tsitsipas – who’s finding more ways to get his forehand into the match now – holds for 6-5, Arnaldi now under pressure as he seeks to secure a breaker.
Having trailed 30-0, Tsitsipas levels the game with a booming forehand, then blazes a barely believable return cross-court; Arnaldi can only applaud. But he makes deuce when his opponent overhits, and this is very tense; the way the kid is playing, if he can get over the line here, I’d expect him to win the match. As I type, though, he sends down his first double of the match then goes well long on the forehand, and there’s the break back! It’s tough out there!
On Chatrier, Auger-Aliassime has made a fine start, breaking Alcaraz immediately … only to be broken back immediately. This has the makings of a proper contest.
Consecutive doubles from Tsitsipas leave Arnaldi two points away from the second set, and when he wins a net exchange for 15-40, he wheels away in triumph. The no9 seed, though, is nobody’s patsy and makes deuce … only to thrash wide on the forehand! Arnaldi is asking a lot of questions here, his power inciting Tsitsipas to overhit, but the Greek finds the answers, forcing the youngster to serve for a 2-0 lead.
Arnaldi finds an awesome forehand down the line that gives him 40-0, but a lazy drop followed by two further errors bring us to deuce. If the Italian sees this out, he’ll feel very good about himself, and when he punishes a forehand winner, Tsitsipas discharges fury. And he’s no more jubilant when Arnaldi finds a winner and a huge serve to secure a game that ought to have been his time ago. He leads 6-3 5-3.
Alcaraz and Auger-Aliassime are readying to come on to court. I remember the first time Coach Calv saw the latter as a 16-year-old, and was amazed by how good he was. Problem being he’s not improved much since then, still with three major weaknesses: second serve, return and volleying, his rendition of them not dreadful but not good enough. Tennis players don’t really get time to improve, but Auger-Aliassime had four months during Covid and emerged from it the same player he went into it. All of which puts in mind Shane Warne’s saying that Monty Panesar hadn’t played 30 Tests, he’d played the same Test 30 times.
A delectable lob earns Arnaldi 3o-40, he pushes Tsitsipas to the backhand corner with his next return, and backing away to hit a forehand, the no9 seed can only net! At 6-3 3-2, he’s in a fantastic position, meaning grief for the Greek.
Lovely length on the return allows Tsitsipas to drop for World Cup glory for 15-all, but Arnaldi is so solid, making 40-30 with a colossal serve-forehand combo move and securing the hold with another of weapons-grade. He leads 6-3 2-2.
Arnaldi larrups a return cross-court for a winner that, at 40-30, gives him a sniff. But Tsitsipas dominates the next point for hold for 3-6 2-1 and this match is on a rolling boil now.
A hold from Tsitsipas who then takes Arnaldi to deuce, thwacking from the back to make advantage. But a big first serve is returned long and when he misses again, Tsitsipas chunters to himself, disgusted by his largesse. And he’s equally unamused when netting a drop-recovery, Arnaldi now leading 6-3 1-1 – but pressure is growing.
Running in to pick up a drop, Tistsipas makes 0-15, and when Arnaldi goes long on the forehand, he’s a sniff. BUT HAVE A LOOK! Sent racing to the forehand corner, Arnaldi absolutely clobbers a fantastic winner down the line, a backhand return flies wide, and the youngster leads 6-3!
Tistsipas holds to love in short oder, forcing Arnaldi to serve for the set at 5-3. P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E.
Arnaldi is being given a proper examination by Tistsipas – nothing is coming easily – but he retinas his break, leading 5-2 in the first.
Gauff says she’s been working hard on her footwork – she moved great today – and unusually for an American, she’s been lucky enough to play on clay since she was 10. She likes to slide after drop-shots, she says, then explains that after her morning warm-up they talk tactics for two or three minutes – not long. She likes to keep things simple, has played most players before so knows what they like to do, and also that they may change things up sop there’s no point being too fixed of mindset. She’s got her first-round doubles match today, and though, if she wins, she’ll be playing again tomorrow on her day off, this is what she loves to do and the rain means she’s actually done less than she’d have expected to by now.
Next on Chatrier (but not for 45 minutes): Felix Auger-Aliassime (21) v Carlos Alcaraz (3). De-cent!
Coco Gauff (3) beats Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1 6-2
A(nother) brilliant performance from Gauff, the match over is exactly an hour, and she meets Jabeur or Tauson next, looking a contender in every aspect.
Arnaldi breaks Tsitsipas then consolidates for 4-1, and this match is hitting a decent level.
Gauff is feeling herself. Her lengths are so good, and it’s no great surprise to see her earn two points for a double-break and 5-2; she saves the first, but in control of the second – Gauff retrieves superbly – she doesn’t do enough with a drop, and for the second time in the game, sees her opponent race in, seize control of the rally, and secure a 6-1 5-2 lead. The American will now serve for the match.
Tistsipas, by the way, has found a bit of form after a dodgy period, his serve and forehand firing. It’s still hard to see him winning a Slam unless he does a lot of work on his backhand, but the form he’s in, he can beat anyone in a one-off – and if he wins here, he meets Alcaraz or Auger-Aliassime next.
As all that was going on, Gauff broke Cocciaretto again for 6-1 3-1 – she’s nearly home – and Arnaldi hangs on to lead Tsitsipas 1-0.
We’re under way on Lenglen, and I’m looking forward to this one, Arnaldi is one of a stable of young Italians en route to the top of the men’s game – Flavio Cobolli, who ought to have beaten Holger Rune in round two, only to capsize in the fifth-set breaker is another. Down 30-40 in game one, he finds a second-serve ace, then facing a third break-point, he clumps a forehand winner on to the line. Already, this is intense.
Hang about! Cocciaretto makes 0-40 … so Gauff saves the first break-back point with an inside-out backhand winner, then second with a leaping forehand winner down the line … but a weak double of her own means Cocciaretto is on the board in set two, trailing 1-6 1-1. Do we got ourselves a ball-game?
Cocciaretto looks a little underpowered, I’m afraid to say. I’m not sure if that’s partly because her left leg is hurt, but she’s also made 13 unforced errors – relative to Gauff’s four – the combination not necessarily a winning one. And down 30-40, a weak double cedes the immediate break, and this looks like being another hiding.
A backhand swiped cross, and Gauff takes set one 6-1. She’s so solid now – you can assume she’ll beat everyone you assume she’ll beat – and though I’m not sure her forehand’ll hold up in biggest matches, she’s a proper player now.
Brad Gilbert, Gauff’s coach, appears to have come in disguise.
