Sinner wins with Pellegrino, Darderi spectacular against Zverev
Jannik in the quarters after a clear success with the Italian, Luciano did the trick with the world number 3, beaten after cancelling four match points. Musetti out, Paolini forfeits doubles
Jannik Sinner won against Andrea Pellegrino as expected (6-2, 6-3) and advanced to the quarters, but the roars of the Foro Italico resounded loudly for a great Luciano Darderi who won against world number 3 Alexander Zverev by nullifying four match points: 1-6, 7-6 (10), 6-0.
Thus, in the Internazionali d'Italia, alongside the South Tyrolean (he played with the Italian from the qualifiers who had surprisingly eliminated Francis Tiafoe) another Italian, after the disappointing performance of Lorenzo Musetti, defeated in the morning by Casper Ruud. Sinner dominated a first set in which Pellegrino was probably suffering a bit of emotion; in the second set, the Apulian player loosened up a bit and there were also passages of good tennis. The hug at the end of the match between the two was beautiful, then the world number one gave credit to his opponent by writing 'great Andrea' on the camera. Now awaiting him is Andrej Rublev, who got the better of Basilashvili.
Darderi had started badly, losing the first set to a Zverev who seemed in control. But Luciano's qualities as a fighter, already appreciated with Tommy Paul, came out in the second set in which he turned the match upside down, and then exploded in a heart-stopping tiebreak, which ended 12-10, with the crowd irrepressible on every point brought home. The German never recovered from those match points that went up in smoke, he gradually faded away also due to an evident physical decline: in the third set he hardly fought any more. Now for Luciano, at his first victory with a top ten, there is the Spanish revelation Rafa Jodar.
Too bad for a foul and exhausted Musetti, not on the day (and weakened by physical problems) against the solid Ruud, who prevailed 6-3, 6-1 with few flashes and a lot of concreteness. Finally, Jasmine Paolini withdrew from the doubles: she is the defending champion with Sara Errani, but hurt her foot. 'Unfortunately I have to withdraw from the doubles. Especially here at home, in such a special tournament for me, it was not an easy decision. But with Roland Garros coming up, together with my team we think it's the best choice. Thank you all for the support,' the Tuscan tennis player wrote on social media.
