Medvedev’s 2023 season is quite impressive so far: 46 wins in 55 matches. He won five titles, including two Masters 1000 tournaments in Miami and Rome.
The Russian’s last performance on the ATP Tour came at Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals for the first time in his career, beating Arthur Fery, Adrian Mannarino, Marton Fucovich, Jiri Legechka and Christopher Eubanks. He ended up losing 3-6, 3-6, 3-6 to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the last four.
Medvedev was supposed to participate in the Citi Open, but withdrew from the tournament. In Canada, he immediately went to the second round due to being a top-eight seed.
Matteo Arnaldi, meanwhile, has won 10 of 18 matches this season, with his best performance coming in the semi-finals at the Croatia Open in Umag.
The Italian then progressed through the qualifying rounds of the Canadian Open, beating Aleksander Kovacevich 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the qualifying final. Here he met Matija Pekotic and took another victory by the same margin, which secured him a place in the main draw.
Arnaldi faced local tennis player Vasek Pospisil in the first round and at the start of the first set he immediately dropped his serve. However, the 22-year-old bounced back and took the Canadian’s serve twice to win the set 6-4. The Italian took the opposing serve in the third game of the second set, and this break was decisive. Arnaldi won the match 6-4, 6-4 to secure a spot in the second round of the Canadian Open.
Medvedev leads 1-0 in a one-on-one match between the two, having beaten the Italian 6-4, 6-2 at this year’s Dubai Tennis Championships.
Medvedev is the absolute favorite to win, given his performance on hard courts this season.
The Russian is one of the best players on hard court, and his efficiency will undoubtedly make Arnaldi’s life very difficult. Medvedev’s movement on the pitch, serving, counter-attacks and quick transitions from defense to attack should help him win this game.
Arnaldi hit 10 aces in the first round against Vasek Pospisil and he will be looking to do more against the world No.3. But in any case, he is unlikely to complicate Medvedev’s life.
Forecast: Medvedev will win in straight sets.
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Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
