Espresso’s Not Enough to Help Darderi Against Ruud in Rome

Luciano Darderi donned cool shades as he walked out for his Rome semifinal. Perpaps he knew that the moment might shine too brightly for him to handle.

Eleven unforced errors in five and a half games had Darderi looking depleted on the court during his semifinal with Casper Ruud on Friday in Rome. To say that the World No. 20 was relieved when a heavy squall forced the tarps to come out on Court Centrale in Rome would be an understatement. 

He had downed a packet of sugar and an espresso – when in Italy – on a changeover, but 24-year-old Darderi was still floundering, badly in need of the biblical rain that was now falling. 

Granted a chance to replenish his reserves, would the 20th-ranked Italian, the unlikeliest participant in Friday’s semifinal quartet in Rome, summon the magic that helped him save four match points against Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 en route to the biggest semifinal of his career? 

Not really. Ruud broke Darderi in the first game upon resumption and then held serve easily to close the opener, 6-1, in 29 minutes of court time. The second set went by the same scoreline as Ruud reached his first Rome final and the 27th ATP final of his career. 

“It feels great,” Ruud said. “A bit sorry for Luciano today. playing at home, and probably not with a lot of energy and it’s understandable – he finished at 2:30 the other night and what a match he had and what a tournament he’s had.”

The victory marks Ruud’s fourth consecutive Top 20 victory – he will face either Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev for the title on Sunday in the Italian capital. 

“I’m really proud and happy to be in the final here for the first time, and it’s a good feeling, after a bit of a trouble year, I have really kick-started the season, now let’s see if I can keep it going.”

Sunny skies came after the two-hour rain delay, but the prevailing theme was cloudy for Darderi, who couldn’t seem to free himself of the fatigue accrued by making his first run to a Masters semifinal. In addition to his dramatic win over Zverev, he won a three-setter with Rafael Jodar in the quarterfinals, finishing off his win well after 2 AM on Thursday morning.

Ruud, meanwhile, continued to produce polished, confident clay court tennis, which was more than enough to get him through the second set. 

Darderi double-faulted to hand Ruud the break in the first game of the second set, and the determined Norwegian marched swiftly into his first Rome final withiout much fuss at all.

It wasn’t until Ruud led 4-0 that Darderi showed more signs of life. He held for the first time in the match in the fifth game of the second set, and the fans did their best to rally him from there. 

Darderi earned a break point with Ruud serving at 4-1, but the Norwegian played a perfect drop shot to erase it, then hammered a forehand and a smash winner on the next to points to lead 5-1. 

When a spectator yelled some insult at Darderi in the next game, the crowd rallied once again, and Darderi got into the act, raising his racquet to the heckler, daring him to come down and try it himself. 

He didn’t take the bait, nor did his critique have the intended effect on the Italian, who was broken a sixth time moments later.