Matteo Arnaldi’s adventure in the ATP 250 tournament in Delray Beach ends in the second round. The Ligurian tennis player was defeated in three sets by the Australian Rinky Hijikata with a score of 6-2 3-6 6-4 after more than two and a half hours of play.
Arnaldi finished with 16 aces, but also with 7 double faults, finishing with a 53% percentage of firsts on the pitch. On the other hand, Hijikata served quite well, getting 65% of the points when he served first serve.
A one-sided first set, even if Arnaldi could have changed everything in the fourth game. The Ligurian, in fact, he misses four break points and loses serve in the next game. Unfortunately the break advantage for the Australian becomes two, also because Hijikata takes the serve away from the blue again and it takes off at 5-2. The world number 84 takes the first half 6-2.
Arnaldi immediately faces a break point at the start of the second set, but cancels it with a nice forehand. The blue then has two break points in his favor in the sixth game, but it is Hijikata who cancels them. In the eighth game the world number 43 gets a new opportunity and this time comes the Australian’s mistake. Arnaldi takes the lead at 5-3 and then closes the second set in the next game.
At the start of the third set Arnaldi finds himself defending three break points, also thanks to two consecutive double faults, but manages to save himself. In turn it is the blue who has an opportunity, but Hijikata saves himself with the serve. He continues following the trend of the serves and we arrive at a very tight tenth game. Arnaldi cancels two match points, but in the third he had to capitulate to Hijikata’s forehand winner, who closed 6-4 and flew to the quarterfinals.