An all-Italian quarterfinal duel came to an abrupt end toward the end of the second set at Roland Garros as injured Matteo Berrettini retired, sending Matteo Arnaldi into his first-ever semifinal at a major on Wednesday evening.
World No.104 Matteo Arnaldi led the last men’s singles quarterfinals at Roland Garros, 7-5, 5-2, when unseeded Matteo Berrettini was forced to retire with a hip injury, handing his countryman a walkover into the last four in Paris.
In his on-court interview, he outlined: “We both played a lot, so it’s normal not to be at our best, but you never wish someone to end their tournament like this. He did an amazing tournament.
"We are all doing such a good job in Italy. I’m sorry for him, and I hope he’s going to recover, because soon it's going to be the grass and he is going to be very tough to play.”
Following two hours of intense play on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Roman native took the difficult decision to retire from the match with tears in his eyes, coming off the back of a relentless campaign on French soil.
With real chances to dig deeper at the French Open after achieving his first major quarterfinal in four years, a physical issue once again disrupted the 10-time ATP title holder's path, whose career has been plagued by injuries in recent years.
Arnaldi advanced into his first Grand Slam semifinal to play compatriot Flavio Cobolli, who earlier ousted world No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, becoming a major semifinalist at age 24.
Despite today's results, the Italian players made history at the clay-court Slam, as for the first time in the Open Era, three Italian men reached the quarterfinals at the same major.
Arnaldi starred in marathon matches, finding a way against the odds to surge victorious.
On Monday, it was business as usual for the resilient player, who produced an epic comeback to overpower the last American player standing in the draw, 19th seed Frances Tiafoe, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 after five hours and 26 minutes.
They finished their monumental fourth round at 1:08 a.m. local time, exhausted.
All in all, the Italian has spent over 20 hours on court coming into the semifinals, eager to navigate into uncharted territory when he faces 10th seed Cobolli on Friday for a spot in the final.
“I’m tired, that’s for sure,” he added. “But I train, and I play tennis to play these kinds of tournaments and these kinds of matches. I’m trying to give it all that I’ve got.
"Obviously, today I was a little bit more tired than usual. I wasn’t as fast as I was in the first match, but I’m here, and I’m enjoying my tennis again. I was injured until not long ago, so I’m just happy to be here and trying to give all I have.”
The Match as It Happened
Berrettini got off to a fast start under the Chatrier roof, producing a double break to extend his early lead to 3-0.
The 25-year-old was made to work by the former Wimbledon runner-up, but unrelenting, found a way to bounce back, kicking up a level to take four games in a row, shifting momentum to his side of the net.
Then, when his adversary was serving for the set, he converted a pivotal break, closing out 7-5 after 76 minutes.
After a trade of breaks exchanged in the early stages of the second set, the Sanremo-born open a 2-1 advantage.
Then, chair umpire Aurelie Tourte confirmed a medical timeout off court for Berrettini, who, alongside physio Stephane Vivier, headed to the locker room for further assessment of the physical issue ailing the 30-year-old.
As play resumed, the Roman native consolidated the break with a hold to love, drawing the score at 2-2.
However, as the next three games unfolded, the situation worsened, with Berrettini struggling to move, eventually forcing him to retire from the match.
Arnaldi, who has experienced his own share of physical struggles due to a foot injury, reflected on reaching a new career milestone.
“If I think where I was a month ago, I was almost No. 150 in the world," he shared. "Then I played the Challenger in Cagliari, and from there I started to feel better and train again like I wanted. Now I’m here.
"It’s crazy to think, but I always liked this tournament... Two years ago, I made the fourth round, so I love to play in front of this crowd.”
Arnaldi and Cobolli are tied in their series 1-1, having played one another most recently in the second round at last year's French Open.