October 06, (THEWILL) – World number five Daniil Medvedev progressed to the Shanghai Masters round of 16 on Sunday, defeating Italian competitor Matteo Arnaldi 5-7 6-4 6-4 in a challenging contest that extended beyond two hours and forty minutes.
The former world number one experienced initial difficulties, surrendering the opening set despite an early advantage. Arnaldi, ranked 36th globally, demonstrated remarkable skill by breaking Medvedev’s serve in the sixth game following an unforced error from the Russian player, before claiming the set with another break in the final game.
Tensions escalated during the second set when Medvedev received two code violations and a subsequent point penalty following disagreements with the match official. However, the Russian professional maintained sufficient composure to level the match, forcing a decisive third set.
Weather conditions significantly impacted the tournament schedule, with matches restricted to the primary covered court due to persistent rainfall. This marked the second consecutive day of postponements for competitions scheduled on exterior courts.
Following his victory, Medvedev acknowledged his opponent’s performance, stating: “I was expecting him to play differently, he played very good. In the first set I should have done better. The second and third were even closer… but at the end I am happy to win.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
