Tsitsipas sets up Alcaraz clash with last-16 win over Arnaldi

Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a French Open quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, recovering to beat Matteo Arnaldi in four sets after losing the opening set.

Tsitsipas – a beaten finalist at Roland Garros in 2021 – looked to be in a hole when Arnaldi took the opener within a comfortable 36 minutes, the Italian then racing into a 5-3 second-set lead.

However, the ninth seed saved three set points before flipping the momentum of the match with a crucial break, eventually closing out a 74-minute set in a tie-break.

The Greek produced a composed performance from there as he powered to a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory, with Arnaldi's intensity dropping after he had dictated proceedings with some pinpoint groundstrokes early in the encounter.

Tsitsipas could now reach the French Open semi-finals for just the third time, though he will face a daunting task on Tuesday against Alcaraz, after the Wimbledon champion breezed past Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets.

17 - Stefanos Tsitsipas has registered his 17th win on clay in 2024, it is the most wins he has registered from his 1st 20 such matches in a season along with 2021 & 2022; only in 2021 does he have more wins on clay (23). Winner. #rolandgarros | @rolandgarros @atptour pic.twitter.com/OU9cgTZ8jq

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 2, 2024

Data Debrief: Best clay season yet for Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas entered the French Open in good form, having claimed the Monte-Carlo Masters title before falling just short in the final at Barcelona.

This is now his joint-best start to a clay-court season, having won 17 of his first 20 matches on the surface in 2024, a feat he has only previously achieved in 2021 and 2022. Only in 2021 (23) has he won more matches on clay in a single season overall.