Alcaraz advances to Japan Open quarter-finals with win over Arnaldi

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced into the the quarter-finals of the Japan Open with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory over Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday in Tokyo.

The world number three saved four set points against the Italian, ranked 37th, in an opening-set tie-break but turned the tide thanks to some trademark aggression and a bit of luck.

He ended up clinching the set in one hour and 13 minutes, and the complexion of the match then changed completely, as Arnaldi collapsed and left Alcaraz to seal the deal with a smash half an hour later.

The Spaniard will face Denis Shapovalov for a place in the final four after the Canadian, ranked 46th, who prevailed over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

“Saving those set points in the first set makes me feel good. Thinking that the set’s not over until the last point is important,” Alcaraz said.

In the second, “I just tried to play with less speed, tried to play more rallies,” the 23-year-old added.

“Playing just not too much spin, and from that trying to push him, as much as I could, and thanks to that I had a good feeling with the ball.

“I made him feel a little bit uncomfortable, and I also made him think a little bit more when he needed to go for the point, to play aggressive. I think it became quite hard for him,” he said.

Tokyo marks Alcaraz’s third tournament since returning from a wrist injury that kept him out of action for several months until late August.

He made his comeback at the US Open, losing in the quarter-finals.