Day Eight at the Foro Italico was defined by rain, late-night 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 finish until 2:02 a.m.
While the Italian crowd was treated to an emotional night, finishing a quarter-final at that hour in a best-of-three event during a two-week Masters 1000 is neither sensible nor fair to the players. Back-to-back late finishes combined with earlier matches create tough recovery conditions, especially on clay.
Earlier in the day, Casper Ruud overcame a rain delay and a second-set dip to book his place in the last four, where he’ll now face Darderi.
Day Eight Italian Open 2026 Quarter-Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Casper Ruud (23) | Karen Khachanov (13) | 6-1 1-6 6-2 |
| Rafael Jodar (32) | Luciano Darderi (18) |
Match Recap
Casper Ruud (23) def Karen Khachanov (13) 6-1 1-6 6-2
Casper Ruud reached the semi-finals at the Italian Open for the fourth time after battling past Karen Khachanov in a rain-interrupted quarter-final on 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 levelled the match with a strong 6-1 second set. However, Ruud regrouped in the decider. He raised his level and played some decent tennis.
This marks Ruud’s fourth Rome semi-final, 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 as he has a good chance to make the final, but I don’t see anywhere near Sinner’s level.
Match Stats
| Key Stats | Casper Ruud | Karen Khachanov |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 30 | 18 |
| Unforced Errors | 18 | 24 |
| Aces | 4 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 57% (35/61) | 76% (51/67) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 69% (24/35) | 61% (31/51) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (13/26) | 31% (5/16) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/3) | 50% (5/10) |
| Service Games | 73% (8/11) | 55% (6/11) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 39% (20/51) | 31% (11/35) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 69% (11/16) | 50% (13/26) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (5/10) | 100% (3/3) |
| Return Games | 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 Games | 73% (8/11) | 55% (6/11) |
| Return Games | 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-and-eight-minute quarter-final that finished at 2:02 a.m. in Rome.
The Italian rode the energy of a passionate home crowd through multiple twists. He took the first set in a tiebreak after both players traded 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 drained 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 win.
Given the conditions, it was a bit of a weird match, but interesting nonetheless. Darderi is a top clay courter, and Jodar has a ton of potential but looked to run out of gas at the end given how much tennis he has played of late.
Does he have anything left in the tank after his fightback against Zverev and a 2 am finish against Jodar? Ruud isn’t the toughest opponent, but I don’t see it.
Match Stats
| Key Stats | Rafael Jodar | Luicano Darderi |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 31 | 17 |
| Unforced Errors | 58 | 44 |
| Aces | 2 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 6 |
| 1st Serve % | 70% (85/121) | 55% (53/96) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 55% (47/85) | 64% (34/53) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 53% (19/36) | 58% (25/43) |
| Break Points Saved | 72% (13/18) | 57% (4/7) |
| Service Games | 64% (9/14) | 75% (12/16) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 36% (19/53) | 45% (38/85) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 42% (18/43) | 47% (17/36) |
| Break Points Won | 43% (3/7) | 28% (5/18) |
| Return Games | 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 Points Saved | 3 | – |
| Max Points In A Row | 9 | 11 |
| Service Games | 64% (9/14) | 75% (12/16) |
| Return Games | 25% (4/16) | 36% (5/14) |
| Total Games | 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)