Madrid Open: Casper Ruud dumped out in second round by Italian qualifier Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets

Casper Ruud suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the Madrid Open, falling to a 6-3 6-4 loss to Italian qualifier Matteo Arnaldi.

Arnaldi produced a high-quality performance as he hit 35 winners in a commanding baseline display to condemn the world No. 4 to his ninth defeat of the season.

Arnaldi, who saved a match point to beat Benoit Paire in the first round before beating the Frenchman in three sets, said beating Ruud was the “best match of my life”.

“I don’t know what to say,” Arnaldi, who reached the second round of a Masters tournament for the first time at the Barcelona Open last week, said in his on-court interview.

“In Barcelona, I was playing very good, but coming here it is different.

“The ball bounces so high and I didn’t like it at first. I struggled a bit. But today, I don’t know, maybe the stadium, maybe the pressure on him, but I played the best match of my life.”

Ruud was the first player to drop his serve in the fourth game, but immediately responded in the next game to get back on level terms.

The decisive break in the first set came after a 11-minute game saw Arnaldi move into a 5-3 lead before he closed out the 50-minute set.

Arnaldi broke the Ruud serve in the opening game of the second set and held firm, fighting off a break point in the eighth game with a volley winner at the net, before marching on to victory.

Arnaldi will play Jaume Munar in the next round after Tallon Griekspoor was forced to retire in their match when the Spaniard was leading 7-6(3).

Arnaldi beat Munar last week in Barcelona to secure the first ATP Tour main draw win of his career.

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