Turin, Oct 4 (LaPresse) – Matteo Arnaldi was eliminated in the second round of the Shanghai Masters 1000, played on hard courts in the Chinese city. The Italian, ranked No. 71 in the ATP rankings, lost 6-4, 6-4 in two and a half hours against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (No. 20 ATP, 18th seed).
The Sanremo native had won two of the three previous head-to-head encounters with the 26-year-old from Malaga, all on hard courts, in 2024 in Toronto and earlier this year in Dallas, while he lost the most recent duel in the semifinals at Delray Beach.
Luciano Darderi, meanwhile, advanced by defeating Chinese player Yunchaokete Bu, No. 121 in the world, 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and a half. Darderi will now face fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti in a showdown for a place in the round of 16.