May 13 (Reuters) - Home favourite Luciano Darderi battled past Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar 7-6(5) 5-7 6-0 in a three-hour epic that stretched into the early hours of Thursday to reach the Italian Open semi-finals and extend the best Masters 1000 run of his career.
Fresh from a statement victory over second seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round, the Italian carried his momentum into a late-night quarter-final on Campo Centrale, where a lively crowd stayed despite rain delays pushing the schedule deep into the evening.
The match was also briefly suspended in the opening set after smoke from fireworks at the neighbouring Stadio Olimpico, hosting the Coppa Italia final between Inter Milan and Lazio, drifted across the Foro Italico.
The haze reduced visibility and temporarily disrupted the tournament's electronic line-calling system. When play resumed, Darderi recovered from 2-5 down in the tiebreak to snatch the opening set in front of the home fans.
The 18th seed appeared on course for a straightforward finish after racing into a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Jodar responded impressively to level the contest. The Spaniard saved two match points, held for 5-5, then broke again before serving out the set to force a decider.
The effort appeared to take its toll on 19-year-old Jodar in the third, as he dropped serve twice and Darderi reasserted control to close out the win.
"I think it's the best win of my career because of the crowd and everything here in Rome," Darderi said in his on-court interview.
"First time in the semi-finals, it's a dream to play here. It was difficult because we started around 11, the court was very slow ... I just kept fighting and I'm very happy about that."
Darderi will face Casper Ruud in the semi-finals after the Norwegian beat Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-1 1-6 6-2 earlier on Wednesday.
Ruud appeared firmly in control after racing through the opening set before rain suspended the match early in the second for nearly two-and-a-half hours.
The lengthy interruption allowed Khachanov to regroup and swing the momentum, with the Russian levelling the match after striking 11 winners and committing just one unforced error in the second set.
Ruud steadied himself in the third and delighted the crowd by striking a stunning tweener on his way to sealing victory and reaching the semi-finals in Rome for the first time since 2023.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
