Madrid 2023: Jaume Munar vs Matteo Arnaldi Prediction and Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Madrid Open third-round match featuring Jaume Munar vs. Matteo Arnaldi on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

Jaume Munar vs. Matteo Arnaldi Preview

It’s a massive opportunity to reach the second week for both Jaume Munar and Matteo Arnaldi who clash in an intriguing third-round match at the Madrid Open. Who will prevail?

Jaume Munar didn’t even need to expend so much energy, as he eased into the third round, leading Tallon Griekspoor by a set when the Dutchman retired with an ankle injury. Munar’s search for a maiden main draw win at the Madrid Open took a while, but when it arrived there was no shortage of drama, after seeing off Thanasi Kokkinakis in two tiebreak sets before the two were embroiled in a verbal altercation at the end of the match. And now with a second win in as many days, Munar will never get a better chance of making the second week at his home tournament when he squares off against Matteo Arnaldi in a Barcelona rematch.

Matteo Arnaldi, meanwhile, stunned one of the tournament favorites Casper Ruud in straight sets. Ruud, with a bye in the opening round, was caught cold by the flamboyant young Italian. Arnaldi, who scaled the qualifying hurdles at the Madrid Open, defeated Frenchman Benoite Paire in a third-set tiebreak in the main draw. And the number of people who backed him to advance into the third round could be counted on one hand after drawing third-seeded Ruud. But what followed was an astonishing display of blistering forehands and exceptional court coverage such that Tennis TV dedicated an entire highlight reel of Arnaldi’s best points of his money shot.

Jaume Munar vs. Matteo Arnaldi Prediction and Pick

Jaume Munar and Matteo Arnaldi are tied at 1-1 in their head-to-head. Both matches were contested on clay, with their most recent bout going the Italian’s way at last week’s Barcelona Open. Arnaldi enters Sunday’s contest at the Madrid Open as the marginal favorite, with the outside show court giving him that extra zip in his ground strokes. His forehand in particular was electric and he ran riot every time Ruud made the grave mistake of playing into that wing. Munar, with his unobtrusive baseline game, will huff and puff, but the attacking intent is not something you’d really associate with his approach. And with that said, Arnaldi will hold the edge again.