Casper Ruud booked his spot in the Italian Open semifinals with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Karen Khachanov on Wednesday at the Foro Italico. A roller-coaster win in a Roman tournament that keeps delivering surprises.
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The Norwegian stormed through the opening set in barely thirty minutes, his aggressive tennis leaving the Russian with no answers. But Khachanov is not one to give up easily, and the second set saw a complete reversal as the 29th-ranked player found his serve and power to level the match at one set apiece.
After a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay, Ruud regained his precision in the decider, finishing with 30 winners across three sets and converting 5 of 10 break-point opportunities. The result means the Norwegian will move back inside the top 20 in the world rankings, a welcome return after several months outside the elite bracket.
On the other side of the draw, Luciano Darderi continued his fairy-tale run. After saving four match points against Alexander Zverev in the previous round, the Italian wrote another chapter by defeating Rafael Jodar 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-0. Darderi stayed patient through two tight sets before unleashing a perfect third, creating 18 break-point chances across the match.
The 20th-ranked Italian reaches his first Masters 1000 semifinal on home soil, carried by a passionate Roman crowd. Ruud and Darderi will face off for a spot in the final, an unprecedented matchup at this stage. (ATP Tour, Flashscore)
