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 came as 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. Smoke quickly spread across the field, forcing officials to temporarily stop the match.
Jodar led 6-5 in the first set at the time of the break. Visibility around the stadium deteriorated significantly, making it difficult for both players to track the ball properly. The smoky conditions also disrupted the tournament’s electronic calling system, leading to a delay of nearly 20 minutes as organizers waited for the air to clear and recalibrated the technology. Broadcast footage showed the court engulfed in haze as confused viewers struggled to make sense of the situation.
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With the Foro Italico located only a short distance from the Stadio Olimpico, the football celebrations effectively spilled over into the tennis grounds, creating an atmosphere more suited to a football night than a Masters 1000 event.
Play suspended due to low visibility caused by fires in the Coppa Italia final between Inter Milan and Lazio.
Darderi and Jodar are waiting. pic.twitter.com/jXCNnuLbbR— Arimiyaw Iddrisu (@ArimiyawAMI) May 13, 2026
The delay further complicated Rome’s already disrupted timetable. Persistent rain earlier in the day pushed several matches back by more than two hours, meaning the Darderi-Jodar match did not start until around 11pm local time. After a smoke delay and a lengthy on-court battle, the match finally ended after 2:00 a.m., capping off a chaotic and unforgettable 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 after a smoke timeout, Darderi recovered from 2-5 down in the first set tiebreak to grab the opener. The Italian appeared to be cruising in the second set after taking an early lead, but 19-year-old Jodar fought back brilliantly to save two match points before forcing a decider.
However, the long night finally took its toll on the Spaniard. Jodar struggled physically in the third set as Darderi dominated proceedings and closed out the final set 6-0 in front of a depleted but passionate home crowd. The match officially ended at around 2:02 a.m. local time, capping off one of the most bizarre nights the Italian Open has witnessed in recent years.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
14 May 2026 17:23 IST
