Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before his French Open semi-final against fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli after falling ill with a virus, and the pair still appeared together at a news conference shortly after the announcement. To avoid any risk of Cobolli becoming sick, both players sat at opposite ends of the interview table as Arnaldi explained why he could not compete.
Arnaldi said the illness began on Thursday night, when he woke at about 1am with a stomach ache. He later started vomiting, could not sleep, and called a doctor to his room in the morning.
“It’s difficult to be here – this is not want I wanted to do,” Arnaldi said. He added that he had hoped it was something he had eaten at dinner, but he could not keep food or drink down during the day and kept going to the bathroom.
A painful exit after a marathon run
The withdrawal ended Arnaldi’s first Grand Slam semi-final run in painful circumstances, after he had spent 19 hours and 42 minutes on court on his way to the last four in Paris. That total was the longest by any player reaching a major semi-final since 1991, underlining how physically demanding his path had been.
Arnaldi also apologised to the crowd, with about 15,000 fans already at Roland Garros expecting the match to begin. “I feel sorry for everyone who came to watch,” he said, while French Open organisers said ticket-holders would receive a full refund.
Cobolli stays on court for fans
With the semi-final cancelled, Cobolli still went out on Court Philippe Chatrier for a practice session in front of the remaining supporters. Thousands stayed behind to watch, turning a disappointing change of schedule into a chance to see the Italian in action despite the match no longer taking place.
The scene brought an abrupt end to a highly anticipated all-Italian semi-final, but the focus quickly shifted to Arnaldi’s health and the unusual precautions taken during the news conference.
Read more at: www.bbc.com
