Casper Ruud defeated Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-1, in the Italian Open semi-final.
The rain delayed their match midway through the first set, but the result was never in doubt.
Ruud was in fine form, while Darderi struggled physically, having finished his Italian Open quarter-final match at 2 am on Thursday.
How underrated is Casper Ruud?
He's into another Masters 1000 final…
After the match, Ruud looked ahead to the final, where he could meet the world number one, Jannik Sinner.
Casper Ruud wants revenge against ‘a guy who cannot lose’ Jannik Sinner
“It will be a tough match no matter who it is,” said Ruud during his post-match interview.
“Either it will be a guy who cannot lose, it seems like, or it will be Daniil [Medvedev], who won this tournament before.
“Both are great players, incredible athletes.
“If it’s Jannik [Sinner], it will be another test for me, and hopefully I can get some sort of revenge from last time we played, and see if I can do better.
Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Italian Open – QF | Jannik Sinner | Casper Ruud | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 2024 ATP Finals – SF | Jannik Sinner | Casper Ruud | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2021 Vienna Open – QF | Jannik Sinner | Casper Ruud | 7-5, 6-1 |
| 2020 Vienna Open – 1R | Jannik Sinner | Casper Ruud | 7-6, 6-3 |
“But no easy task, no matter who it is, and I’m really proud and happy to be in the final here, for the first time, and it’s a good feeling after a bit of a troubling year.
“I’ve kind of kick-started the season now, and I’ll see if I can keep it going.”
Sinner dismantled Ruud at the Italian Open a year ago, 6-0, 6-1.
Ruud would love a shot at revenge, but knows he will be up against it, whether it’s Sinner or Medvedev in the final.
Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Madrid Open – QF | Casper Ruud | Daniil Medvedev | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 2021 ATP Finals – SF | Daniil Medvedev | Casper Ruud | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2021 Mallorca Championships – QF | Daniil Medvedev | Casper Ruud | 7-5, 6-1 |
| 2020 ATP Cup – RR | Daniil Medvedev | Casper Ruud | 6-3, 7-6 |
Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in Rome, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Sinner will play Medvedev in the second semi-final on Friday, May 15, with the winner advancing to meet Ruud in the final on Sunday, May 17.
Casper Ruud admits he was luckier than Luciano Darderi as schedule impacts become clear
Ruud is already looking forward to the final, but took a moment to analyse his semi-final win over Darderi.
“It feels great, a bit sorry for Luciano [Darderi] today,” he said.
“Playing at home and probably not with the most energy, it’s understandable…
“He finished at 2.30 the other night, and what a match he had and what a tournament he’s had.
“Luckily for me, I was done much earlier than him that day. I had more time to recover, get ready, and you know, it’s my 10th semi-final in a [Masters] 1000, and it’s his first, you try to use that experience to your advantage, and I think I did that well today.
Casper Ruud’s record in Masters 1000 semi-finals (4-6)
- 2020 Italian Open SF [LOSS] vs Novak Djokovic, 5-7, 3-6
- 2021 Monte Carlo Masters SF [LOSS] vs Andrey Rublev, 3-6, 5-7
- 2021 Madrid Open SF [LOSS] vs Matteo Berrettini, 4-6, 4-6
- 2022 Miami Open SF [WIN] vs Francisco Cerundolo, 6-4, 6-1
- 2022 Italian Open SF [LOSS] vs Novak Djokovic, 4-6, 3-6
- 2022 Canadian Open SF [LOSS] vs Hubert Hurkacz, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6
- 2023 Italian Open SF [LOSS] vs Holger Rune, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6
- 2024 Monte Carlo Masters SF [WIN] vs Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
- 2025 Madrid Open SF [WIN] vs Francisco Cerundolo, 6-4, 7-5
- 2026 Italian Open SF [WIN] vs Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-1
“He was maybe a little bit stressed, a little bit nervous about the occasion, but I tried to stay focused and in my own tunnel vision, and I think I did well, and was forcing a lot of errors out of his racket.”
During Sky Sports’ post-match coverage, Tim Henman shared his thoughts on Darderi’s performance.
“You think about the last 10 days, he was absolutely cooked, wasn’t he? He just didn’t have the energy in his legs,” he said.
“He’ll reflect on a great couple of weeks but a tough day at the office.”
Darderi must now decide whether to travel to Germany for the Hamburg Open as intended, or to rest up ahead of Roland Garros.
The Hamburg Open begins on Monday, May 18, before the French Open starts on Sunday, May 24.
