ATP Madrid: Darderi supera Monfils e ottiene la sua prima vittoria in un Masters 1000
Luciano Darderi secured his first victory in a Masters1000 tournament with a well-deserved 6-4 6-2 win against Gael Monfils. The French player’s performance on the court was quite precarious, committing a total of 39 unforced errors and coming close to losing the second set 5-0. Monfils, ranked 40th in the world, appeared disinterested throughout the match.
On the other hand, the 60th ranked Darderi remained focused and continued to play his game despite Monfils’ lackluster performance. The Madrid clay court seemed to suit Darderi well as he now prepares to face Taylor Fritz in the second round, who is seeded 12th and less experienced on clay. Darderi has been enjoying a successful year in 2024, winning in Cordoba, breaking into the Top 100, and reaching the semifinals in Houston where he lost to Tiafoe.
Darderi excelled in his serving, winning 81% of points on his first serve and 64% on his second serve. His two aces to close out the match demonstrated his strong game and composure.
In the first set, Darderi dominated, breaking Monfils’ serve early on and maintaining his lead. Monfils struggled with his backhand and found himself trailing 4-1 before managing to break back for 4-2. However, Darderi held his serve comfortably to take the set 6-4.
The second set saw Monfils quickly fall behind 4-0 before briefly rallying. Darderi, however, remained focused on his goal, serving two aces to close out the match 6-2. Monfils appeared to surrender too easily, leading to a straightforward victory for Darderi.
