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The world No.35 held his nerve to win 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-4, as the No.6 seed gradually lost his composure.

Arnaldi rallied in the first set tie-break, scoring three consecutive points to seal it, breaking Rublev’s spirit as his frustration mounted, resulting in several racquet smashes on his way to also losing the second.

While Rublev improved in the third set, Arnaldi fought all the way to ensure his place in the fourth round, where he will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Zhang Zhizhen.

Arnaldi has claimed his maiden Grand Slam match win over an ATP top-10. He is the fifth Italian in the past decade to defeat an ATP top 10 opponent at Roland Garros after Cecchinato, Sinner, Fognini and Sonego.

Rublev was aiming for a landmark win, but fell short, meaning he will have to wait for his 225th ATP match victory since the start of 2020.