This year’s Cordoba Open champion Luciano Darderi came back from one set down to beat Denis Shapovalov 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in a thrilling match after 3 hours and 9 minutes at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome.
Darderi hit 21 winners to 25 unforced errors.
The first set started with four breaks in the first six games. Shapovalov, who reached the semifinal in Rome in 2020, needed almost ten minutes to break Darderi.
Darderi broke straight back in the second game. Shapovalov broke for the second time to take a 2-1 lead. Darderi broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3.
Shapovalov took control of the tie-break and earned a mini-break after a double fault from Darderi.
Shapovalov earned three set points at 6-3 in the tie-break and sealed the first set on his second chance with a smash.
Darderi broke serve in the fifth game of the second set after Shapovalov made two double faults and missed a forehand drive. Darderi held on his serve and capitalized on Shapovalov’s errors to earn a second break in the ninth game sealing the second set 6-3.
Shapovalov earned a break point at 2-2 in the third set with a couple of forehands, but Darderi saved it with his serve. Darderi broke serve in the sixth game with a powerful forehand to take a 4-2 lead. Shapovalov broke straight back in the seventh game. Darderi saved two break points, as he was serving at 4-4, but he missed a backhand on the third break point. Shapovalov was not able to close the match on serve, and the match was decided by the tie-break. Darderi took a 4-3 lead in the tie-break with a volley and earned two match points with a forehand down the line. He converted his first chance, as Shapovalov mishit a drop-shot.
Darderi set up a second round match against Mariano Navone in a remake of last week’s semifinal at the Challenger tournament in Cagliari.
Flavio Cobolli beat Maximilian Marterer 6-4 6-2 to claim his first tour level since 2021. Cobolli set up a second round match against Sebastian Korda.
Marterer broke serve in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Cobolli broke back in the seventh game and held at love in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Cobolli converted his third break point in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead, as Marterer sent a forehand into the net. Cobolli served out the first set on his fifth set point in the 10th game.
Cobolli broke in the first and fifth games and sealed the win on his second match point in the eighth game.
Nuno Borges saved two match points in the tie-break of the third set to beat Pedro Martinez 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-6 (10-8) after 3 hours and 40 minutes. Borges won his second win in a Masters 1000 tournament. The Portuguese player set up a second round match against Alexander Bublik.
Yoshihito Nishioka beat Sebastian Ofner 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-4).
Yannik Hanfmann beat Jakub Mensik 6-2 6-3 to level to 1-1 in their head-to-head matches. Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro upset Gael Monfils 6-2 7-5. Zhang Zhizhen edged Daniel Elahi Galan 6-2 7-5.