The Italian Open quarter-final between Italy’s Luciano Darderi and Spain’s Rafael Jodar witnessed extraordinary scenes on Wednesday night after smoke from football celebrations interrupted play at Rome’s Foro Italico.
The unusual stoppage occurred when thick smoke from fireworks and flares drifted into the tennis arena from the nearby Stadio Olimpico, where Inter Milan fans were celebrating their 2-0 Coppa Italia final victory over Lazio. The smoke rapidly spread across the court, forcing officials to temporarily suspend the match.
At the time of the interruption, Jodar was leading 6-5 in the first set. Visibility around the stadium worsened significantly, making it difficult for both players to track the ball properly. The smoky conditions also disrupted the tournament’s electronic line-calling system, leading to a delay of nearly 20 minutes as organisers waited for the air to clear and recalibrated the technology. Broadcast footage showed the court engulfed in haze while confused spectators tried to understand the situation.
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Since the Foro Italico is located only a short distance away from the Stadio Olimpico, the football celebrations effectively spilled into the tennis venue, creating an atmosphere more suited to a football night than a Masters 1000 event.
The delay further complicated an already disrupted schedule in Rome. Persistent rain earlier in the day had pushed back multiple matches by more than two hours, meaning the Darderi-Jodar contest only began close to 11 pm local time. Following the smoke delay and a lengthy battle on court, the match eventually finished after 2 am, capping off a chaotic and memorable night at the Italian Open.
What happened in the Darderi vs Jodar match?
Despite the extraordinary interruption, the match itself turned into a thrilling contest lasting more than three hours. Darderi eventually defeated Jodar 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-0 to reach the first Masters 1000 semi-final of his career.
After play resumed following the smoke delay, Darderi recovered from 2-5 down in the first-set tiebreak to snatch the opener. The Italian appeared to be cruising in the second set after taking an early lead, but the 19-year-old Jodar fought back brilliantly, saving two match points before forcing a decider.
However, the long night eventually took its toll on the Spaniard. Jodar struggled physically in the third set as Darderi dominated proceedings, sealing the final set 6-0 in front of an exhausted but passionate home crowd. The match officially ended at around 2:02 am local time, capping one of the most bizarre nights the Italian Open has witnessed in recent years.
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