Luciano Darderi has secured his place in the third ATP Tour final of his career, overcoming Francisco Cerundolo in a thrilling three-set encounter (6-2, 3-6, 7-6[3]) that lasted over two and a half hours and had it all—passion, intensity, spectacular rallies, momentum shifts and a dramatic finish in the deciding tiebreak.
The match was finely balanced, with both players experiencing fluctuations in their performance, making it difficult for either to establish a comfortable lead. Darderi and Cerundolo exchanged early breaks in the opening set, but it was the Italian—known for his aggressive playing style—who remained more consistent. He earned a second consecutive break to take a 3-2 lead, exploiting Cerundolo’s struggles on the backhand side. With powerful forehand winners (22 in total), the world No. 55 secured another break (converting 6 out of 11 break points for a 55% success rate) and eventually closed out the set 6-2.
Cerundolo started the second set more assertively—despite finishing the match with a staggering 41 unforced errors. He ignited the Bastad crowd with a beautiful diagonal drop shot and showed signs of resurgence, even though he ended the contest with 5 double faults and just one ace, illustrating how much pressure Darderi applied with his relentless movement and ball-chasing. Despite some shaky backhands and dropping his opening service game, the 23-year-old Italian quickly broke back and leveled at 2-2, continuing to challenge the Argentine with deep baseline shots. However, the world No. 20 managed to withstand Darderi’s intense pace. A superb lob during a net rush from the Italian earned Cerundolo a crucial break point, which he converted, then followed it up with deep serves that overpowered Darderi, allowing him to claim the second set 6-3 and force a decider.
The third set was a spectacle, with both players showcasing world-class tennis and thrilling the audience with their fighting spirit. Cerundolo, the 2022 Bastad champion, started with a break, but Darderi remained composed and immediately broke back to level at 1-1. The Italian’s return game was solid, yet Cerundolo managed to break again at 2-2 and held for a 4-2 advantage. Darderi, however, refused to give up. As he later admitted in his on-court interview, he stayed mentally strong, winning 73% of his first-serve points (41/56), compared to Cerundolo’s 59% (33/56). He broke back with some clutch first-return points (41% overall, versus Cerundolo’s 27%) and tied the match at 4-4.
Both players frequently moved up to the net—Cerundolo winning 71% of those points, Darderi 70%—adding variety and excitement. A love service game gave Darderi his first lead in the set, a much-needed momentum shift that restored his confidence after a shaky patch. At 5-5, the Italian displayed remarkable resilience, saving a crucial break point (he leads the tournament in break points saved at 80%, 8/10). Cerundolo held serve to force a tiebreak, but Darderi rose to the occasion.
In the tiebreak, the Italian held his nerve, even after slipping during the first point. He earned the first mini-break and never looked back, staying aggressive and focused until the very end. A second mini-break sealed the deal—7-6(3)—and with a 2-1 set victory, Darderi advanced to his third ATP final. This win places him in a select group of players with multiple finals appearances during this year’s clay season, alongside Alcaraz, Baez, Sinner and Cobolli.
Luciano Darderi also becomes the first Italian to reach the Nordea Open final since Fabio Fognini in 2018 and appears determined to go all the way. An all-Italian triumph could be in the cards this year in Bastad, following Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s title win in the women’s event.
To claim the trophy, Darderi will face Dutchman Jesper de Jong (world No. 106), who defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli in straight sets. It will be their first meeting, and the matchup promises to be a captivating showdown.
Båstad, Achilleas Tsakalidis
The match was finely balanced, with both players experiencing fluctuations in their performance, making it difficult for either to establish a comfortable lead. Darderi and Cerundolo exchanged early breaks in the opening set, but it was the Italian—known for his aggressive playing style—who remained more consistent. He earned a second consecutive break to take a 3-2 lead, exploiting Cerundolo’s struggles on the backhand side. With powerful forehand winners (22 in total), the world No. 55 secured another break (converting 6 out of 11 break points for a 55% success rate) and eventually closed out the set 6-2.
Cerundolo started the second set more assertively—despite finishing the match with a staggering 41 unforced errors. He ignited the Bastad crowd with a beautiful diagonal drop shot and showed signs of resurgence, even though he ended the contest with 5 double faults and just one ace, illustrating how much pressure Darderi applied with his relentless movement and ball-chasing. Despite some shaky backhands and dropping his opening service game, the 23-year-old Italian quickly broke back and leveled at 2-2, continuing to challenge the Argentine with deep baseline shots. However, the world No. 20 managed to withstand Darderi’s intense pace. A superb lob during a net rush from the Italian earned Cerundolo a crucial break point, which he converted, then followed it up with deep serves that overpowered Darderi, allowing him to claim the second set 6-3 and force a decider.
The third set was a spectacle, with both players showcasing world-class tennis and thrilling the audience with their fighting spirit. Cerundolo, the 2022 Bastad champion, started with a break, but Darderi remained composed and immediately broke back to level at 1-1. The Italian’s return game was solid, yet Cerundolo managed to break again at 2-2 and held for a 4-2 advantage. Darderi, however, refused to give up. As he later admitted in his on-court interview, he stayed mentally strong, winning 73% of his first-serve points (41/56), compared to Cerundolo’s 59% (33/56). He broke back with some clutch first-return points (41% overall, versus Cerundolo’s 27%) and tied the match at 4-4.
Both players frequently moved up to the net—Cerundolo winning 71% of those points, Darderi 70%—adding variety and excitement. A love service game gave Darderi his first lead in the set, a much-needed momentum shift that restored his confidence after a shaky patch. At 5-5, the Italian displayed remarkable resilience, saving a crucial break point (he leads the tournament in break points saved at 80%, 8/10). Cerundolo held serve to force a tiebreak, but Darderi rose to the occasion.
In the tiebreak, the Italian held his nerve, even after slipping during the first point. He earned the first mini-break and never looked back, staying aggressive and focused until the very end. A second mini-break sealed the deal—7-6(3)—and with a 2-1 set victory, Darderi advanced to his third ATP final. This win places him in a select group of players with multiple finals appearances during this year’s clay season, alongside Alcaraz, Baez, Sinner and Cobolli.
Luciano Darderi also becomes the first Italian to reach the Nordea Open final since Fabio Fognini in 2018 and appears determined to go all the way. An all-Italian triumph could be in the cards this year in Bastad, following Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s title win in the women’s event.
To claim the trophy, Darderi will face Dutchman Jesper de Jong (world No. 106), who defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli in straight sets. It will be their first meeting, and the matchup promises to be a captivating showdown.
Båstad, Achilleas Tsakalidis
