A day to remember for Luciano: he beat world number 18 Paul, who led 6-3 3-1. Arnaldi comes close to achieving the feat against the starlet Jodar
Do you see, Luciano, how nice it is to play for Italy? Once he and his father Gino arrived in his grandfather’s country from Argentina, they had no doubts in choosing the tricolor flag. He and his father Gino had long dreamed of a day like yesterday’s, with the “football” support in the heart of the Stadio dei Marmi, a stone’s throw from the Olimpico, to accompany the feat: Darderi qualified for the first time in his career in the round of 16 of a Masters 1000, after having achieved the same goal last January in Melbourne, at Slam level. And the fact that this happened at home, in those Internationals that represent the tournament of his dreams, almost seems like a sign of destiny. The feat within the feat lies in the fact that on the other side of the net there was world number 18 (and former top ten) Tommy Paul, who went on to lead 6-3 3-1 before suffering a comeback from the Italian, very tense at the start and then increasingly involved in the match.
energy
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The turning point came in the second set, when Darderi finally broke the American’s serve at the sixth attempt. With a run of nine consecutive games, Luciano flew towards victory, dominating the baseline exchanges against a Paul who was now physically exhausted. Luciano certainly had energy, however. This year, after the Australian exploit, the final in Buenos Aires and the title in Santiago – the fifth of his career – he rose to the best ranking of number 18 in the world, before going through a period of oblivion. He recharged his batteries just in time for the Foro Italico. Tomorrow, in the round of 16, he will meet world number 3 Alexander Zverev, who beat him in Rome in 2024. “Two years ago I was a different player. I have much more experience, many more matches at ATP level and physically I have improved a lot. Two years ago I wouldn’t have won a match like the one against Paul: the key was staying there in the important moments, waiting for the right opportunity, with the crowd helping me a lot.”
arnaldi
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In the evening the blue en plein came close. Matteo Arnaldi attempted a super comeback against the Spanish star Rafael Jodar: after losing the first set, he went all the way to the third, where he didn’t take advantage of a break advantage. Rome, however, marks a rebirth for him, after a nightmare 2025 due to a foot injury.
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