Day eight at the Foro Italico was defined by rain, late heroics and some questions about the tournament schedule.
Luciano Darderi produced another quality performance to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, battling past a resilient Rafael Jodar in a three-hour-eight-minute war that didn’t end until 02:02
While the Italian crowd was treated to an emotional evening, it is neither sensible nor fair for the players to end a quarter-final at that hour in a best-of-three event during a two-week Masters 1000. Back-to-back late finishes combined with earlier matches make for tough recovery conditions, especially on clay.
Earlier in the day, Casper Ruud overcame a rain delay and a second set dive to book his place in the last four, where he will now face Darderi.
Day Seven Italian Open 2026 Quarter Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Do |
|---|---|---|
| Casper Ruud (23) | Karen Khachanov (13) | 6-1 1-6 6-2 |
| Rafael Jodar (32) | Luciano Darderi (18) |
Summary of the match
Casper Ruud (23) def Karen Khachanov (13) 6-1 1-6 6-2
Casper Ruud reached the semifinals of the Italian Open for the fourth time after beating Karen Khachanov in a rain-interrupted quarter-final at Campo Centrale.
Ruud dominated the opening set 6-1 and looked in excellent form, but a two hour+ rain delay at the start of the second set disrupted his rhythm.
Khachanov came out firing after the break and leveled the match with a strong 6-1 second set. However, Ruud regrouped in the decision. He raised his level and played decent tennis.
This marks Ruud’s fourth semi-final in Rome, and he has now won 14 of his last 15 matches against Khachanov in their lopsided H2H. Can he win a second Masters 1000? Maybe because he has a good chance to make it to the finals, but I don’t see anywhere near Sinner’s level.
Match statistics
| Key statistics | Casper Ruud | Karen Khachanov |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 30 | 18 |
| Unforced errors | 18 | 24 |
| Ace | 4 | 2 |
| Double mistake | 4 | 0 |
| 1st serving % | 57% (35/61) | 76% (51/67) |
| 1st Serve point won | 69% (24/35) | 61% (31/51) |
| 2nd serve point won | 50% (26/13) | 31% (5/16) |
| Breakpoints saved | 0% (0/3) | 50% (5/10) |
| Service game | 73% (8/11) | 55% (6/11) |
| 1st return point won | 39% (20/51) | 31% (11/35) |
| 2nd return point won | 69% (11/16) | 50% (26/13) |
| Break point won | 50% (5/10) | 100% (3/3) |
| Return game | 45% (5/11) | 27% (3/11) |
| Pressure points | 38% (5/13) | 62% (8/13) |
| Service points | 61% (37/61) | 54% (36/67) |
| Return points | 46% (31/67) | 39% (24/61) |
| Net points | 71% (10/14) | 56% (5/9) |
| Total points | 53% (68/128) | 47% (60/128) |
| Max points in a row | 11 | 6 |
| Service game | 73% (8/11) | 55% (6/11) |
| Return game | 45% (5/11) | 27% (3/11) |
Highlights
Luciano Darderi def. Rafael Jodar 7-6(5) 5-7 6-0
Luciano Darderi reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final after some late-night drama, battling past 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in a dramatic three-hour, eight-minute quarter-final that ended at 02:02 in Rome.
The Italian rode the energy of a passionate home crowd through several twists and turns. He took the first set in a tiebreak after both players changed momentum. In the second set, Darderi led 3-0 and later held two match points at 5-4, but Jodar showed fighting spirit to save them and steal the set 7-5.
A smoke delay (caused by the Coppa Italia final at the nearby Stadio Olimpico) added to the chaos. Despite looking physically exhausted at the end of the second set, Darderi dug deep in the decider. He raised his level and produced a dominant 6-0 third set to close out the victory.
Considering the conditions, it was a bit of a strange match, but interesting nonetheless. Darderi is one of the best clay courts and Jodar has loads of potential but looked to run out of gas towards the end considering how much tennis he has been playing of late.
Does he have anything left in the tank after his fightback against Zverev and a 2 o’clock finish against Jodar? Ruud is not the toughest opponent, but I don’t see it.
Match statistics
| Key statistics | Rafael Jodar | Luciano Darderi |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 31 | 17 |
| Unforced errors | 58 | 44 |
| Ace | 2 | 1 |
| Double mistake | 1 | 6 |
| 1st serving % | 70% (85/121) | 55% (53/96) |
| 1st Serve point won | 55% (47/85) | 64% (34/53) |
| 2nd serve point won | 53% (19/36) | 58% (25/43) |
| Breakpoints saved | 72% (13/18) | 57% (4/7) |
| Service game | 64% (9/14) | 75% (12/16) |
| 1st return point won | 36% (19/53) | 45% (38/85) |
| 2nd return point won | 42% (18/43) | 47% (17/36) |
| Break point won | 43% (3/7) | 28% (5/18) |
| Return game | 25% (4/16) | 36% (5/14) |
| Pressure points | 64% (16/25) | 36% (9/25) |
| Service points | 55% (66/121) | 61% (59/96) |
| Return points | 39% (37/96) | 45% (55/121) |
| Net points | 73% (11/15) | 70% (7/10) |
| Total points | 47% (103/217) | 53% (114/217) |
| Match point saved | 3 | – |
| Max points in a row | 9 | 11 |
| Service game | 64% (9/14) | 75% (12/16) |
| Return game | 25% (4/16) | 36% (5/14) |
| Total game | 43% (13/30) | 57% (17/30) |
| Max games in a row | 3 | 6 |
Highlights
Italian Open 2026 Day 9 quarter-final matches
- Jannik Sinner (1) vs Andrey Rublev (12)
- Martin Landaluce (LL) vs Daniil Medvedev (7)
