Andrea Pellegrino beat Martín Landaluce on Tuesday at the Masters 1,000 de Roma and reached the main draw after a 2-hour, 11-minute match at the Foro Itálico in Rome.
The win mattered because Pellegrino was playing at home in Italy, and the crowd had reason to celebrate. He earned his place in the main draw by getting past Landaluce, the 20-year-old from Madrid who came in ranked No. 94.
Landaluce has been one of Spain's young prospects, and his rise has been quick. He reached the quarterfinals of the Masters 1,000 de Miami in March 2026, then entered the top 100 of the ATP ranking for the first time at the 2026 Masters 1,000 de Madrid.
That backdrop made the loss in Rome more striking on a day when he was the only Spanish player who did not make the main draw. Pablo Jódar, Jaume Munar, Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina, Roberto Bautista, Pablo Carreño, Daniel Mérida and Pablo Llamas were all listed in the main draw in Rome, leaving Landaluce on the outside after a long fight on clay.
Pellegrino's result now sends him into the main field in front of his own supporters, while Landaluce is left to reset after another meeting with one of the tour's most watched stages. For a player whose upward curve has been so sharp this season, Rome was a reminder that the next step is often the hardest one to take.
