Luciano Darderi, who previously had a low profile, is gaining attention. He is set to face Casper Ruud.
Darderi’s Rise in Rome
Earlier this week, it was noted that Darderi had an exceptionally low profile for a Top 20 player. He has five career titles and has been ranked as high as No. 18. Despite a good year, he hasn’t been on big stages often.
Three rounds later, those fans have seen a lot more of the Italian. Darderi came back from a set down to beat Tommy Paul. He also saved match points against Alexander Zverev and survived a mid-match charge by Rafael Jodar. In all three, he rode a tsunami of Roman support.
Medvedev vs. Sinner: A Semifinal Showdown
Daniil Medvedev is set to face Jannik Sinner in a semifinal match. By the end of his quarterfinal win over Martin Landaluce on Thursday evening, Medvedev had elevated his game to something close to its peak. He had his opponent smiling in disbelief at his returns that landed on the baseline, his forehands that skidded through the corners, his overheads that dove in at the last second, and his swing volleys into the open court. The normally defensive-minded Russian was making red-lining look easy.
Medvedev hasn’t had any answers for the Italian recently. He’s 1-9 in their last 10 matches and has gone set-less against him for nearly two years. He will be coming in on less rest than Sinner. He’ll also be facing him in front of his home fans, who would love to see him win his national title for the first time.
Medvedev needs to keep doing what he was doing Thursday night. The last time he faced Sinner, in the Indian Wells final in March, Medvedev was also in all-out attack mode, and he basically fought the world No. 1 to a draw from the baseline. Both sets went to tiebreakers, and Medvedev had chances to win each of them. In the second, Sinner appeared to be on the verge of cramping in the heat but rescued himself with a series of pinpoint, pressure-packed winners. If it had gone to a third, Medvedev might have won.
On Thursday, in his quarterfinal, Sinner also had a physical issue. Whether it was a cramp, or a leg injury, or tiredness, he suddenly struggled to get the ball over the net late in the second set against Andrey Rublev. Once again, he saved himself with the quality of his shots and served out the match in two.
Sinner Favoured to Win
Medvedev should feel confident that he can go toe-to-toe with Sinner and possibly wear him down physically. Sinner has been too good—this year, in Masters 1000s, and against this opponent—to be anything other than a solid favourite.
The semifinal match between Medvedev and Sinner is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. ET | 10:00 a.m. PT.
Darderi was born in Argentina to a teaching pro father.