Matteo Arnaldi, an unheralded Italian participant, was having a stunning time in New York, knocking off one opponent after one other on his solution to the fourth spherical on the U.S. Open.
One, Arthur Fils of France, is predicted to turn out to be one of many high gamers of the subsequent decade. One other, Cameron Norrie, the sixteenth seed, has been among the many higher gamers of the previous two years. These wins earned him a date on Monday with Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion and world No. 1, in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“ problem,” Arnaldi, 22, who grew up within the shadow of different Italians his age, equivalent to Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, mentioned forward of the match.
His coach, Alessandro Petrone, thought so, too.
“I believe tomorrow will probably be not really easy,” Petrone mentioned Sunday afternoon as he tried to provide you with a sport plan for taking over Alcaraz.
Each have been proper. It took Alcaraz 1 hour 57 minutes to take aside Arnaldi, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. He has dropped only one set in 4 matches.
None of that is notably stunning. Alcaraz has received two of the previous 4 Grand Slam occasions and has performed in solely three of them, having missed the Australian Open with a pulled hamstring.
However that is the primary time he has needed to defend one of many largest titles within the sport, a problem that some high gamers can wrestle with. Iga Swiatek, the ladies’s defending champion, misplaced Sunday evening, a defeat that can price her the No. 1 rating when the brand new rankings are launched subsequent week.
Alcaraz mentioned Monday that he had tried to place ideas of defending a title out of his head.
“All of the strain that individuals placed on you, on the defending champions, I simply delete it and focus by myself sport,” Alcaraz mentioned.
Alcaraz’s match Saturday towards Dan Evans of Britain, lengthy a favourite of tennis sophisticates as a result of his type is clean and diverse, was a shotmaker’s delight. The 2 gamers placed on a present, impressing themselves and others with lengthy rallies, stuffed with contact and energy. There have been loads of huge winners hit from behind the baseline and drop photographs feathered to inside inches of the web.
That is the best way Alcaraz likes it finest. Large video boards loom excessive above Arthur Ashe Stadium. Alcaraz loves to look at matches on tv when he isn’t on the courtroom, although he additionally likes watching when he’s on the courtroom as nicely.
If he has performed a very distinctive shot, one which elicits a loud and lusty roar from the group — and this occurs loads — as quickly as the purpose is over, his eyes gaze skyward.
“I like to see it once more,” he mentioned Monday by that broad smile.
The stakes rise every day, however to date one of many secrets and techniques of Alcaraz’s success is that tennis has remained one thing of a hoot.
His workday over by early night, he had the posh of watching the match between his upcoming quarterfinal opponent, both Sinner or Alexander Zverev of Germany.
His five-set quarterfinal match towards Sinner on the U.S. Open final 12 months ended at almost 3 a.m.
“Going to be a extremely robust quarterfinal,” Alcaraz mentioned.
Or not.