Santiago
Darderi reaches third QF of 2026 in Santiago
Seeds Ugo Carabelli, Comesana fall
February 25, 2026
Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
Luciano Darderi is competing this week at a career-high No. 21 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
By ATP Staff
Luciano Darderi continued his standout start to the 2026 season Wednesday at the BCI Seguros Chile Open, where the Italian reached his third tour-level quarter-final of the year.
Seeded second and competing at a career-high No. 21 in this week’s PIF ATP Rankings, Darderi fought off Argentine Mariano Navone 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the last eight.
“It’s difficult because there is a little bit of altitude here,” Darderi said in his on-court interview. “It’s different conditions, but I’m very happy to take the win.”
Darderi, 24, boasts a 13-2 clay-court tour-level record since last July, only losing his two most recent matches before Santiago. He won back-to-back clay-court titles in Bastad and Umag in 2025. Since the start of the 2024 season, Darderi owns the second-most clay-court wins at tour-level (45), just two behind Francisco Cerundolo.
Darderi will next face fellow Italian Andrea Pellegrino, who earned a memorable win at the ATP 250. The 28-year-old let slip a match point in a tense second set, but ultimately rallied to upset seventh seed Francisco Comesana 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3. With the victory, the qualifier reached his maiden tour-level quarter-final.
“It was a very tough match,” Pellegrino said. “A great battle. I want to say thanks to my friends who came to support me. Without them, it was very tough. Their support is something amazing.”
In his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the Argentine, Pellegrino squandered a match point at 5-2 in the second set, then dropped serve while serving for the match in the next game. But he regrouped, earned two breaks in the deciding set and sealed the biggest win of his career in two hours and 51 minutes.
Pellegrino, who captured the doubles title in Santiago in 2023 with Andrea Vavassori, is now No. 123 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, three spots ahead of his career high.
Earlier, Yannick Hanfmann upset fourth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-4, 6-3 in the second round. The 34-year-old became the fourth player to reach at least three quarter-finals in tournament history, joining Sebastian Baez, Laslo Djere and Thiago Monteiro.
Watch Hanfmann vs. Ugo Carabelli highlights:
The German, who converted three of seven break point opportunities against Ugo Carabelli, according to Infosys ATP Stats, will face lucky loser Vilius Gaubas in the last eight. The 21-year-old Gaubas rallied past Dino Prizmic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.
