French Open: Arnaldi advances as Berrettini withdraws; Sabalenka eliminated
Matteo Arnaldi moves into the last four at Roland Garros, while Algeria secures a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in World Cup preparations.
Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi has secured his place in the French Open semi-finals following the withdrawal of compatriot Matteo Berrettini. The quarter-final match was halted after Berrettini suffered a hip injury, allowing Arnaldi to progress without completing play. The result sets up an all-Italian semi-final encounter between the two players.
Arnaldi’s opponent will be Flavio Cobolli, who also advanced to the last four by defeating Félix Auger-Aliassime. This development continues a trend of significant shifts in the men’s draw at this year’s tournament, following earlier exits for Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated after a narrow lead evaporated against Diana Shnaider. Sabalenka was just two points away from victory before losing ten consecutive games, ultimately collapsing in the final stages of the match to hand the win to Shnaider.
The tennis results at Roland Garros stand in contrast to earlier tournament developments, where heat played a notable role. Pre-tournament favourite Sinner had previously withdrawn due to heat-related issues, with temperatures recorded at 84 degrees Fahrenheit during his match before he collapsed while serving.
Separately, in international football, Algeria secured a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in a match serving as preparation for the 2026 World Cup. The win came from a late goal, marking a successful start to their preparations for the upcoming global tournament.
