Casper Ruud secured a dominant victory over Luciano Darderi, winning 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the final of the Italian Open for the first time. The match, which was interrupted by a nearly two-hour rain delay, resumed with Ruud in control, leading 4-1 in the first set. With this win, Ruud continues his strong performance in Rome, having lost only one set throughout the tournament, which came against Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. In the final, he will face either top-seeded Jannik Sinner or former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. This tournament is significant as it serves as a crucial warm-up for the impending French Open, which begins in nine days. Ruud has a history at Roland Garros, having reached the finals in 2022 and 2023 but falling short against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively. Currently ranked No. 25, Ruud is set to return to the ATP top 20 following this event. Darderi, ranked 20th, had an impressive run, notably saving four match points against Alexander Zverev in the fourth round.