Alex de Minaur has been reduced to racquet-smashing frustration as his alarming slump in form continued with another early clay-court tournament exit at the Italian Open.
Australia's world No.8 was downed 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 by home favourite Matteo Arnaldi, who was cheered to the rafters at the Foro Italico by the excited Rome crowd on Friday morning.
But it was another dispiriting setback for de Minaur, who suffered his third loss in a row and had to soak up first-match defeats in back-to-back tournaments for the first time in three years.
