Luciano Darderi and Rafael Jódar put on a show for the packed crowd at Campo Centrale with their thrilling quarterfinal clash at the 2026 Italian Open. After a late start caused by rain delays, the players were forced to deal with a bizarre smoke delay before Darderi sealed a spectacular victory at his home event.
Luciano Darderi Reacts to ‘Difficult’ Italian Open Win Over Rafael Jódar
After saving four match points and upsetting No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, Darderi carried that momentum into his showdown with Jódar, clinching the opening set 7-6(5). Although the Italian had the chance to close out the match in the second set, he failed to convert two match points, allowing Jódar to force a decider.
The first set was also disrupted by a bizarre delay after heavy smoke blanketed the court, creating visibility issues and disabling the electronic line-calling system. The smoke drifted over from fireworks set off after Inter Milan defeated Lazio in the Coppa Italia football final at the Stadio Olimpico, located roughly 550 yards away. Play was halted for nearly 20 minutes before conditions improved.
Play is currently suspended in Rome because the Coppa Italia final was held 500 meters away and they shot off fireworks at the final whistle, liberating so much smoke that it’s now impossible for Jodar and Darderi to play
God I love Italy pic.twitter.com/77bNXt6qCF
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) May 13, 2026
Despite letting his second-set opportunity slip away, Darderi regrouped brilliantly in the decider, storming to a 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-0 victory after an intense 3-hour, 8-minute battle that concluded at 2:02 a.m. The 24-year-old was visibly overcome with emotion while celebrating with his team and family as the crowd roared in celebration.
A night-shift MARATHON ✅🥵
Darderi overcomes Jodar 7-6(5) 5-7 6-0 in the longest match of the tournament!#IBI26 pic.twitter.com/W8IN8WaT7Y
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 14, 2026
Having advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, Darderi hailed the victory as the best of his career. He also acknowledged the tricky conditions and challenges caused by the late start to the match, while taking pride in his fighting spirit.
“I think it’s the best win of my career because of the crowd and everything here in Rome. First time in the semifinals, it’s a dream to play here. Yeah, it was difficult because we started around 11, the court was very slow. Rafa is an amazing player. He’s so young just 19 years old. I had my chances in the 2nd set but then he played just amazing. I just kept fighting and I’m very happy about that,” he said.
Up next, No. 18 seed Luciano Darderi will lock horns with No. 23 seed Casper Ruud in the semifinals of the Italian Open, following the Norwegian’s 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 win over Karen Khachanov.
