Darderi and Moutet Charge into Marrakech Quarterfinals as Trungelliti Eyes Top 100 Spot
At 36 years old, Trungelliti is on the verge of breaking into the Top 100 for the very first time.
April 01, 2026
Grand Prix Hassan II
Luciano Darderi takes on Mattia Bellucci during Wednesday’s matchup in Marrakech.
By Andy West
Defending champion Luciano Darderi made quite an impression at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech as he comfortably secured a spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The top seed showcased his dominance with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory over fellow Italian Mattia Bellucci, displaying solid form without facing a break point and converting three out of nine opportunities, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Kicking off his title defense in style 😎
Top seed and reigning champion @Lucianodarderi_ opens his Marrakech campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over compatriot Bellucci! #GrandPrixHassanII pic.twitter.com/ohNl62FIKp
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 1, 2026
Having captured his first ATP Tour title at the last Cordoba ATP 250 in 2024, Darderi added another victory in Marrakech a year ago. Since then, he has secured three additional titles—Bastad and Umag in 2025, and Santiago in 2026—but this is his inaugural defense of a tour-level title.
“Returning here is a wonderful feeling,” said Darderi after his swift 78-minute win against Bellucci. “This is my first time defending a title, and I’m thrilled to be back. I’ll give it my all to keep the title this year.”
Ranked No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Darderi has triumphed in 17 of his last 19 matches on clay. He will next compete against Yannick Hanfmann in the quarterfinals, who triumphed over local favorite Karim Bennani with a score of 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Also moving swiftly on Wednesday was third seed Corentin Moutet, who cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Taha Baadi, marking his entry into the ATP Tour quarterfinals for the first time this year. The world No. 32 Moutet will face Marco Trungelliti in their first-ever Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter.
Argentine qualifier Trungelliti started Day 3 in Marrakech with a surprising 7-6(4), 6-3 victory against fifth seed Kamil Majchrzak. The 36-year-old has climbed 17 spots to rank No. 100 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to become the oldest player to break into the Top 100 for the first time in half a century on Monday.
