Casper Ruud is competing in his fourth semi-final in Rome where he is yet to reach a final. He has a great chance here, but Luciano Darderi is likely to put up a fight which bring the games market into play.
| Casper Ruud | Luciano Darderi | |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Norway | Italy |
| Age | 27 (22 December 1998) | 24 (14 February 2002) |
| Height | 6'0" (1.83m) | 6'0" (1.83m) |
| Plays | Right-Handed | Right-Handed |
| Ranking | 25 | 20 |
| Career High | 2 (September 2022) | 18 (March 2026) |
| ATP Tour Titles | 14 | 5 |
| 2026 ATP Tour Titles | 0 | 1 |
| ATP Rome Best Result | Semi-Finals (2020, 2022, 2023) | Third Round (2024) |
HTH
This will be the first match between Casper Ruud and Luciano Darderi.
Ruud Into Fourth Rome Semi-Final
Casper Ruud has reached two quarter-finals this year, the first coming in Delray Beach. He went 7-7 on hard courts but has improved on clay.
The Norwegian retired against Felix Auger Aliassime in the third round in Monte Carlo. He got to the quarters in Madrid where he lost 6-4 6-4 to Alexander Blockx, dropping from 15 to 25 in the rankings as a result.
The 27-year-old clearly enjoys playing in Rome where he had a fantastic start. He beat Zachary Svajda 6-1 6-3, Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 and Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 6-1, saving a combined 3/4 break points.
Ruud was on track for another swift victory against Karen Khachanov before a rain delay halted his momentum. He recovered to win 6-1 1-6 6-2 and said: “The quality I played with in the first and third sets is some of the best I have felt on court recently.”
Darderi Upsetting the Odds in Rome
Luciano Darderi won four titles last year and lost the Buenos Aires final in February. He bounced back to win the title in Santiago and prove his credentials on clay.
The Italian failed to win a match in Indian Wells and Miami, getting an easy run to the semi-finals in Marrakech where he went down to qualifier Marco Trungelliti. That poor form continued with early exits in Monte Carlo, Munich and Madrid.
The 24-year-old has turned that around in his home event in Rome, beating Yannick Hanfmann 6-4 6-4 and coming back to defeat Tommy Paul 3-6 6-3 6-2. He produced an incredible performance to save four match points in a 1-6 7-6 6-0 victory over Alexander Zverev.
Darderi upset the odds again in the quarter-finals, a grueling 7-6 5-7 6-0 win against Rafael Jodar that ended at 2:02 am.
The World No.20 commented after the match: “I think it's the best win of my career because of the crowd and everything here in Rome. First time in the semi-finals, it's a dream to play here.
“Rafa is an amazing player. He's so young, just 19 years old. I had my chance in the second set, then he played just amazing. But I kept fighting and I am very happy about that.”