Rome, Italy – Grigor Dimitrov’s hopes of a deep run at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia were dashed in the second round on Friday, as the 14th seed suffered a surprise defeat to Italian wildcard Francesco Passaro.
The 23-year-old Italian, ranked 101st in the world, prevailed 7-5, 6-3 in a tightly contested match that lasted an hour and 45 minutes.
Dimitrov, who received a bye into the second round, was expected to make a strong start to his campaign in Rome, a tournament where his experience and clay-court prowess have often served him well.
However, the Bulgarian struggled to find rhythm against a determined and energetic Passaro, who capitalized on key moments to notch one of the biggest wins of his career in front of a home crowd.
This was the second meeting between the two players this season. Their first encounter came at the Australian Open in January, where Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury after dropping the first set and trailing in the second. This time, however, it was Passaro who dictated play from start to finish.
The opening set saw an early break go the way of the Italian, with Passaro jumping to a 2-0 lead before Dimitrov clawed his way back to lead 3-2. Just when it looked like Dimitrov might seize control, Passaro broke back to level the score at 3-3.
The remainder of the set was a tense exchange of holds, with Dimitrov fending off a set point at 5-6. However, he was unable to hold off Passaro on a second opportunity, as the Italian clinched the set 7-5 with a confident return game.
Dimitrov’s serve continued to falter in the second set, as he had to save two break points at 1-2 to stay in contention. But at 3-5, the Bulgarian’s resistance finally gave way. Passaro broke decisively and then served out the match to love, sealing his place in the third round to raucous cheers from the Roman crowd.
The loss is a significant setback for Dimitrov, who has been striving to build momentum heading into the French Open later this month. While his early rounds in previous clay-court tournaments this season showed promise, his inability to close out crucial points against lower-ranked opponents continues to raise questions about his consistency.
For Passaro, the victory is a breakthrough moment. Playing in just his second Masters 1000 main draw, the young Italian showcased poise under pressure and a maturity in shot selection that belied his ranking.
Dimitrov will now turn his attention to Roland Garros, hoping to regroup and rediscover the form that took him to multiple quarterfinals this year. Meanwhile, Passaro advances to face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the third round, with Italian fans now firmly in his corner as the tournament progresses.