Luciano Darderi’s dream run at the Italian Open continues. The Italian player reached the first Masters 1000 semifinal of his career after defeating Spain’s Rafael Jodar in a grueling three-set battle delayed by rain and interrupted by smoke drifting from Rome’s Olympic Stadium.
Fresh off his stunning comeback victory over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, Darderi once again showed remarkable resilience. In the opening set, he recovered from a 2-5 deficit in the tie-break to claim the advantage in front of an increasingly electric home crowd.
The second set appeared to be heading toward another Italian celebration when Darderi earned two match points. But Jodar responded brilliantly, fighting back to take the set 7-5 and force a decider.
The third set, however, belonged entirely to the Italian. After a marathon opening game lasting more than twelve minutes, Darderi secured an early break for 2-0, igniting the crowd despitethe late hour. Jodar, struggling physically with cramps and fatigue, gradually faded as Darderi dominated the remainder of the match, closing out the final set 6-0.
With the victory, Darderi becomes the tenth Italian player to reach at least one Masters 1000 semifinal and the eighth Italian in the Open Era to make the semifinals in Rome.
He will now face Norway’s Casper Ruud on Friday, with a place in the final suddenly within reach. For Italian tennis, Darderi’s breakthrough is yet another sign of a generation capable of competing at the very highest level of the sport.
News Source: 9Colonne
