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Darderi Stuns Zverev, Saves Four Match Points in Italian Open Thriller

Luciano Darderi produced a stunning comeback to defeat second seed Alexander Zverev at the Italian Open, saving four match points in a tense second-set tie-break. The Italian crowd favorite won 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0, marking his first career victory over a Top-10 opponent. Darderi credited the home crowd for his remarkable turnaround, saying they helped him never give up. He will next face teenage sensation Rafael Jodar in the quarterfinals.

Key Points: Darderi Saves 4 Match Points, Stuns Zverev in Rome

  • Darderi saves 4 match points in second-set tie-break
  • Defeats second seed Zverev 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0
  • First career Top-10 victory for the Italian
  • Reaches first Masters 1000 quarterfinal at home event
3 min read

Italian Open: Darderi stuns Zverev, saves four match points to book a quarterfinal spot

Luciano Darderi saves four match points to defeat Alexander Zverev 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0 at the Italian Open, reaching his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

"I won because of the crowd. You can't give up here. The crowd helped me a lot, and it is a dream to be in the quarter-finals. - Luciano Darderi"

Rome, May 12

Italian crowd favourite Luciano Darderi produced one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the ATP season on Tuesday, fighting back from the brink to defeat second seed Alexander Zverev and book his place in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open for the first time.

Roared on by a packed home crowd at the Foro Italico, Darderi recovered from a set and a break down before saving four match points in a tense second-set tie-break to complete an unforgettable 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0 victory in two hours and 25 minutes.

The 24-year-old looked headed for a routine defeat after Zverev dominated the opening set with powerful baseline hitting and then moved 5-3 ahead in the second. But just when the match appeared over, Darderi found a way back into the contest, breaking serve and forcing a tie-break in front of an increasingly animated Italian crowd.

"It was a very tough match. At the start, I was not feeling very good physically. At 3-5 in the second set, I was done. I think I had a small chance in the second set when I held for 4-5, and then the tie-break was a lot of pressure for him and me," Darderi said after the victory, as quoted by ATP.

The decisive tie-break turned into a test of nerve as Zverev repeatedly edged closer to victory but failed to convert any of his four opportunities to close out the match. On the first match point, the German netted a backhand. Darderi then stayed alive with a strong first serve on the second, benefited from a Zverev forehand error on the third, and produced a delicate drop volley under pressure to erase the fourth.

"It is not easy to play here because I am a bit nervous, but it was really nice. It was a good fight mentally from me," Darderi said.

After eventually snatching the tie-break on his second set point, helped by a costly Zverev double fault, the momentum completely shifted. Darderi stormed through the deciding set without dropping a game as the world No. 2 struggled to recover mentally from the collapse.

"I won because of the crowd. You can't give up here. The crowd helped me a lot, and it is a dream to be in the quarter-finals. It is the tournament of my life," he added.

The win marked Darderi's first career victory over a Top-10 opponent and made him the first player other than Jannik Sinner to defeat Zverev at the Masters 1000 level since Shanghai last October.

The Italian has now climbed to No. 17 in the live ATP rankings and will next face teenage sensation Rafael Jodar, who earlier became the first teenager since Novak Djokovic in 2007 to reach the Rome quarter-finals.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Zverev choking again? He had four match points and still lost. That mental fragility is becoming a pattern. Darderi played smart, but Zverev literally handed him the match with that double fault in the tie-break. Not impressed.
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Michael C
As a tennis fan in India, matches like these keep me up at night watching 😅 The way Darderi turned it around from 3-5 down in the second set was unreal. Pure grit. And that drop volley on match point? Chef's kiss. Jodar vs Darderi quarterfinal is going to be blockbuster!
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Kavya N
Heartwarming to see an Italian player do well at home. Darderi said it best, the crowd was his 12th man. That energy is something special - we see it in IPL stadiums too. Lovely story for Italian tennis. Hope he goes all the way now! 🇮🇹🎾
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James A
Zverev ranking at No.2 but playing like this? Four match points and you can't close it out against someone ranked much lower. He needs to work on his mental game big time. Darderi was clutch though, credit where it's due.
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Siddharth J
Imagine being down 1-6, 3-5, then saving 4 match points and winning the next set 6-0. That's not just a comeback, that's a mental demolition of your opponent. Darderi's composure was incredible. The crowd must have been electric. Makes me want to visit Foro Italico one day!

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