![\"Luciano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Luciano-Darderi-Italian-Open-6919819.jpg\" "\\"Luciano")
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Luciano Darderi earned the ‘best win of his career’ at the Italian Open (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Luciano Darderi says he earned \u201cthe best win of his career\u201d after beating teenage sensation Rafael Jodar in a late-night thriller at the Italian Open. No. 18 seed Darderi had already caused a massive upset in the fourth round<\/a>, saving four match points and then bagelling Alexander Zverev<\/a> to send the second seed and two-time former champion packing.<\/p>\n And he served up another bagel late on Wednesday night, blowing two match points in the second set but holding his nerve to beat Jodar 7-6(5) 5-7 6-0 in a match that finished around 2am local time in Rome. Both players had to contend with a lot out there.<\/p>\n After starting their match shortly before 11pm, Darderi soon requested a coffee on the court, sipping it while trailing 4-5 on serve in the first set. A couple of games later, with Jodar leading 6-5, there was an unbelievable delay, as smoke filled Campo Centrale and suspended play for almost 20 minutes.<\/a><\/p>\n The smoke came from fireworks that had been set off at the nearby Stadio Olimpico after Inter Milan beat Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final. The players couldn\u2019t see through the thick clouds, while the electronic line-calling system also briefly went down.<\/p>\n When play resumed, Darderi took the first set in a tiebreak. And the Italian looked in complete control when he led 3-0 in set two, and had chances to break again. But the teenager came storming back, getting back on serve and then saving two match points to force a decider.<\/p>\n But for the second match in a row, Darderi raced through the third and final set without dropping a single game. Shortly after 2am, he claimed victory when Jodar sent a forehand into the net and calmly walked over for the handshake. Afterwards, the Italian let the tears flow.<\/p>\n Smoke filled Campo Centrale thanks to some fireworks after the Coppa Italia final (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s the best win of my career because of the crowd, everything here in Rome. First time in the semi-finals, it\u2019s a dream to play here,\u201d the 24-year-old said immediately after the dramatic match.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was difficult because we started around 11pm, the court was really slow. Rafa is an amazing player, he\u2019s so young, just 19 years old. I had my chance in the second set, but then he played just amazing. But I just kept fighting, and I\u2019m very happy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n He later told Sky Sports Italy that he didn\u2019t think he\u2019d come through after dropping the second set. \u201cIt was truly a battle. After losing the second set, I didn’t think I could win. I focused on playing ball for ball, game after game. I tried to fight and push, and I think I won on a physical level. We played really late, but the crowd helped me a lot, especially in the third set,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cToday I tried to play more on his forehand, because he\u2019s more solid on the backhand side. Then I tried to play some lower shots to keep him from losing pace, but sometimes when I was far away, I had no choice \u2013 I had to play backhand shots. But in the third set, I realised I had to push, because he\u2019s a truly top-level player and would immediately come in and push as soon as he could. He’s a really strong player, it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve played against him.\u201d<\/p>\n EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page<\/a><\/p>\n Stay up-to-date with the latest Tennis news Join us on WhatsApp<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Italian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Italian-Open-6919821.jpg\" "\\"Italian")
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