Rome (Foro Italico) – Wednesday at the Rome Masters brought us the first two semifinalists, and the crowd on Campo Centrale enjoyed true tennis thrillers! Both quarterfinal matches went to three sets and were full of twists. Home hero Luciano Darderi continued his unreal run by taking down the young Spaniard Jodar after nearly three hours of play, while Norwegian Casper Ruud defeated Karen Khachanov in a rollercoaster match.
Italian Volcano: Darderi “Extinguishes” Jodar in the Third Set
What a match for the Italian crowd! Luciano Darderi (18) reached the semifinals with a victory over the talented Rafael Jodar (32) with a score of 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-0, after an exhausting 2 hours and 57 minutes of battle on clay.
Although Rafael Jodar entered this match as a heavy favorite, the home player showed his teeth from the very start. Darderi broke in the very first game of the match, but the Spaniard managed to consolidate and break back in the sixth game to tie the score (3-3). The first set went into a tense tie-break which the Italian won 7-5. Jodar fought back in the second set, securing a crucial break in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead, and then confidently held his serve to take the set (7-5). The Spaniard served very well on his first serve (70% in compared to Darderi’s 55%), but the Italian made fewer unforced errors (44), while Jodar was quite erratic with a massive 58 errors.
In the decisive third set, Jodar completely ran out of energy. Darderi, carried by phenomenal support from the stands, shifted into a higher gear, attacked from all positions, and simply swept the favored Spaniard off the court without allowing him even a consolation game (6-0).
📊 Match Stats: Darderi 2-1 Jodar
Norwegian Wall: Ruud Crushes Khachanov in Deciding Sets
The second match of the day on the center court was a true scoring rollercoaster. Casper Ruud (23) defeated Karen Khachanov (13) with a score of 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.
After Ruud furiously won the first set, allowing the Russian only one game, an incredible drop in the Norwegian’s play followed, which Khachanov used to strike back in the exact same measure (6-1). However, in the third and deciding set, Ruud raised his level again. The Norwegian played a tactically perfect match – hitting 18 winners alongside 24 unforced errors. Ruud served brilliantly (76% first serves in) and defended excellently, saving 5 out of 10 break points, which gave him the key psychological advantage in the third set.
The Rome Finale Reaches Boiling Point!
Darderi and Ruud have already booked their tickets for the semifinals, but we still have remaining spectacles in the Eternal City to look forward to. Will Sinner or one of the tournament’s surprises join the Italian and the Norwegian? Follow us live!
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