We need to change this rule!

Arnaldi withdrew in the second round of qualifying and now he’s back in as a lucky loser; it’s ridiculous, even if obviously it’s not his fault.

Foot/ankle injury yet again for the Italian, it’s an issue he was already dragging around last year and because of it he missed his season. He pushed through by playing frequently under painkillers but there was no improvement, he wasn’t very reassuring before the start of the tournament and indeed he’s still struggling. Has this rest day been enough for him to feel able to play? I don’t really see the point, but well, he’s used to playing injured so why not. It’s a shame because we’ve got a great matchup here, two players who offer nice tennis and matches with plenty of twists and turns. They don’t really like the matchup against each other, they’re more comfortable against players who take control of the rallies/can mentally crack. I’d still say I prefer Arnaldi on such a fast surface, I think he’s capable of playing at a higher average level. The problem is that his game is affected by his injury, his movement quality takes a hit and seeing him attack too often isn’t good either, he’s at his best with a mix of both. The logical choice seems to be Altmaier, at least he’s fit and offers physical guarantees. Mentally though, you never know, he’s capable of spraying balls all over the court and beating himself without even realizing Arnaldi was injured! There’s also the LL factor, always tricky… In short, this match is a right mess.