Luciano Darderi thrilled the Italian fans at the ATP Rome Masters by reaching his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal. He will attempt to continue his exceptional run against two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud. We here at LWOT give our prediction and analysis in this article, but which player do you think will reach the final?
ATP Rome Semifinal Prediction
Casper Ruud vs Luciano Darderi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ruud did not face any significant issues in his opening four matches. The Norwegian comfortably overcame Zachary Svajda, Jiri Lehecka, and Lorenzo Musetti before easily winning a deciding set against Karen Khachanov. Darderi’s route was more challenging. After beating Yannick Hanfmann, he recovered from losing the first set against Tommy Paul, saved four match points against Alexander Zverev, and defeated Rafael Jodar after squandering two match points in the second set.
Darderi will undoubtedly be pleased to have a day off after his match against Jodar. Although he won the deciding set 6-0, both men’s fatigue after a hard-fought battle in humid late-night conditions was obvious. The home favorite will likely need all that additional energy against Ruud. The three-time Major finalist is much less likely to run out of steam the way Jodar did in the final set against Darderi.
Both men try to dominate baseline rallies with their forehands, especially on clay. Although all shots are important, whichever one utilizes their strength most effectively will likely reach the final. Darderi did an excellent shot of taming Jodar’s impressive forehand and can take confidence from that. However, Ruud’s forehand on the dirt is one of the sport’s impressive shots. If he hits it as well as in the previous rounds, it will be challenging for Darderi to consistently impose himself.
Ruud also has the benefit of being more experienced on the biggest stages. Although the home fans will attempt to rally Darderi throughout the contest, his nerves have the potential to help his opponent.
Prediction: Ruud in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
