PARIS (AP) 鈥� Having spent a large part of the night vomiting and deprived of sleep, Matteo Arnaldi was in no shape to fight for a spot in the final.
The 104th-ranked Arnaldi withdrew before the first against Flavio Cobolli on Friday at Roland Garros.
Arnaldi believed he caught a virus and said he could not play competitive tennis.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a virus because I was feeling pretty cold,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a fever. I just know that I can鈥檛 move, and I can鈥檛 eat, and I can鈥檛 drink.鈥�
His withdrawal handed Cobolli a place in against second-seeded Alexander Zverev.
Arnaldi said he felt fine during practice on Thursday, until he had dinner.
鈥淚 started to feel so-so with my stomach,鈥� he told a press conference also attended by Cobolli, who sat at the other end of the interview desk.
鈥淚 was, like, 鈥楢ll right, just didn鈥檛 digest very well.鈥� But then I woke up at 1 a.m. and I started vomiting. Then I tried to sleep. I couldn鈥檛 sleep at all. At 6, 7 a.m. I vomited again. This time was pretty bad.鈥�
He summoned a doctor to his room and took medicine.
鈥淚 was hoping that it would just be something from dinner or something like that, but then throughout the day I couldn鈥檛 eat,” Arnaldi said. “Every time we did something or would drink, I would go back to the bathroom.”
He reached the semifinals after countryman Matteo Berrettini retired in their quarterfinal due to a hip injury before the end of the second set. Arnaldi spent a total of 19 hours, 42 minutes on court, more than any other player has taken to make the semifinals at any major tournament since the ATP Tour began recording match times in 1991.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough, because for how the tournament was, for how many hours I spent on court, I was feeling actually very good,鈥� Arnaldi said.
鈥淭o have to withdraw from the first slam semifinal is not something that you wish to anybody. I tried to get ready and tried to stay as much as I could here and tried to see if I could go on court, but every time I get up, I feel dizzy, and I don鈥檛 feel like the best. I鈥檓 pretty sure if I eat again, I鈥檓 not going to feel, like, good. That was the right decision for me to take.”
Cobolli said he was saddened by the news.
鈥淲hen he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried,鈥� he said. 鈥淢atteo is a big inspiration for all of us.鈥�
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AP Tennis:
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