Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, defeated Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (6), 6-1 in the second round of the Japan Open on Saturday. This victory builds on his return to form after a four-month break due to a wrist injury. Alcaraz recently competed in the Laver Cup, contributing to Europe’s win with a victory over Taylor Fritz. He also played a memorable match against Ben Shelton at the US Open, despite the loss. In another second-round match, Denis Shapovalov beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Alcaraz is set to face Shapovalov in the quarterfinals.
