Preview: French Open: Matteo Berrettini vs. Matteo Arnaldi - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Two of the three Italian men left in the draw will do battle on Wednesday when Matteo Berrettini and marathon man Matteo Arnaldi face off in the Roland Garros quarter-final.

Arnaldi survived a five-hour, 26-minute marathon match against Frances Tiafoe to reach a first Grand Slam quarter-final, where he will face his compatriot and returning quarter-finalist, aiming to reach the last four in Paris.

Match preview

Arnaldi’s match with Tiafoe began on Monday night, but both men played until the early hours of Tuesday, with the level remaining high throughout the match.

The Italian showcased his powers of recovery on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where he trailed by two sets to one after claiming the first set and was behind 4-1 in the fourth.

However, the 25-year-old rallied from the brink of defeat to take the fourth set and still did not fade physically in the decider, en route to securing a 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 triumph at Big Foe’s expense.

While he admitted to being tired during his match with Tiafoe, understandably so after Saturday's four-hour, 58-minute thriller against Raphael Collignon, the five-time Challenger champion did not let up against his American opponent.

The upshot of that success means that Arnaldi has broken new ground to reach a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final, having previously never advanced past the fourth round — US Open (2023), French Open (2024) — and he now takes on a compatriot to make more personal Roland Garros history.

Berrettini was an undeniable beneficiary of facing a physically compromised opponent on Monday when he took on the man who eliminated pre-tournament favourite Jannik Sinner in a wild opening week.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo entered his fourth-round match after consecutive five-setters against Sinner and Martin Landaluce, the latter of which lasted five hours and 58 minutes, becoming the third-longest match in Roland Garros history.

Thus, it was perhaps no surprise that Berrettini secured a 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(6) success in just two hours and 32 minutes, notably playing clutch tennis in both shootouts in sets two and three to avoid giving his battling Argentine opponent any hope of a comeback.

Having barely pulled up trees in the big tournaments in the lead-up to his return to the French capital after a five-year absence — Berrettini exited in the third round in Monte Carlo, first round in Madrid and opening round in Rome — the Italian has now become the oldest man from his country to play in a French Open quarter-final.

Returning to this stage to repeat his 2021 run, the 30-year-old and world No. 105 aims to avoid another last-eight disappointment.

The former world No. 6 battled Novak Djokovic that time, but facing a bruised and battered Arnaldi offers the three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist another chance at reaching a fourth, four years after his third run to the last four in 2022 (Australian Open).

Tournament so far

Matteo Berrettini:

First round: vs. Marton Fucsovics 6-7(2) 7-5 6-1 6-2

Second round: vs. Arthur Rinderknech 6-4 6-4 6-4

Third round: vs. Francisco Comesana 7-6(3) 5-7 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(13)

Fourth round: vs. Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3 7-6(2) 7-6(6)

Matteo Arnaldi:

First round: vs. Tallon Griekspoor 6-7(9) 6-3 7-6(6) 6-3

Second round: vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(2) 5-7 6-3 6-2

Third round: vs. Raphael Collignon 6-4 6-7(5) 5-7 6-4 7-6(4)

Fourth round: vs. Frances Tiafoe 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4

Head To Head

Berrettini and Arnaldi will face off for the first time on the ATP Tour, with the victor guaranteed a semi-final appearance in Paris.

While the former world No. 6 holds a 3-3 record in Grand Slam quarter-finals, his four losses at this stage over the last year are a portent before Wednesday’s tussle with Arnaldi.

Arnaldi, though, enters his quarter-final against Berrettini with a 3-5 record in last-eight matches on the main tour, notably losing his last two to Jack Draper and Djokovic in Madrid and Geneva, respectively.

We say: Berrettini to win in four sets

Another five-setter would have been tipped had Arnaldi not already played two extended matches in consecutive rounds.

Considering his physical exertions in the third and fourth rounds, it makes sense to back Berrettini for success on Wednesday, even if he may only get the job done in four.