Photo credit: JM Muguerza/Wkimedia Commons
Luciano Darderi climbed out of a third-set hole to rise into his third career final.
Down 2-4 in the decider, Darderi rallied to defeat top-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3) to battle into his third career final at the Nordea Bastad Open.
It is Darderi's biggest win—by ranking—and snaps an 0-10 career mark vs. Top 20 opponents.
Darderi, who topped Tallon Griekspoor to win the Marrakech title in April, joins Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Sebastian Baez and Flavio Cobolli as the only men to reach multiple ATP finals on clay this season.
The world No. 55 also spoiled the prospect of a Cerundolo family championship weekend.
No. 20 Francisco Cerundolo was bidding to join younger brother, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who reached the Gstaad final earlier today, as the fifth set of brothers to reach ATP tournament finals in the same week in the Open Era.
The last time brothers reached ATP finals the same week was back in 1991 when John McEnroe beat younger brother Patrick McEnroe in the Chicago final and Emilio Sanchez won the Rome title the same week his younger brother Javier Sanchez reached the Umag final.
The 23-year-old Darderi is the first Italian to reach the Bastad final since recently-retired Fabio Fognini beat Richard Gasquet in the 2018 Bastad final.
Darderi will play Jesper de Jong for the championship tomorrow.
World No. 106 de Jong ousted Argentinean Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 7-6(3) in today's first semifinal.