Sinner completes Medvedev win and passage into Italian Open final

ROME – Jannik Sinner will face Casper Ruud in the men’s final of the Italian Open, after finishing off Daniil Medvedev on May 16 in the closing chapter of an enthralling last-four clash, which was paused overnight due to rain in Rome.

The world No. 1 could claim a record-extending sixth Masters 1000 title on May 17 – thanks to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win which had almost everything over the course of its two-and-a-half hours.

Sinner had to have treatment on his right thigh and even vomited during the May 15 night’s leg of the semi-final, as Medvedev gave the Italian by far his toughest test of the tournament.

But he looked in much better spirits before the restart.

He joked and played football with his coaching team during his warmup in the bowels of the centre court arena, just as warm spring sunshine started after a few days of volatile weather.

“It was a different challenge, a tough challenge to be honest,” said Sinner. “During the night usually I never struggle to sleep.

“But this night was not easy because when you’re on the third set, you know I’m nearly nearly done but you still have to show up again...

“You never know what’s happening because it’s basically a new start of a match. There are nerves.”

The match was scheduled to restart at 3pm local time (9pm Singapore time). But it was again delayed by an hour, due to more rain and the men’s doubles semi-final, won by Sinner’s compatriots Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

A 4-2 lead in the third set for Sinner when play was stopped was too much for Medvedev to overcome and the 24-year-old sealed his 33rd straight win in Masters 1000 tournaments, a record run that has seen him claim titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.

The 30-year-old Medvedev was at advantage in Game 7 of the third set, which he immediately won, but Sinner won the next game on his service to love and closed out the match in less than 20 minutes.

Remarkably, the Rome crown is the only one missing from his impressive Masters collection, having lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 final.

By reaching the May 17 showpiece, Sinner also became the first Italian since Nicola Pietrangeli in 1958 to reach back-to-back Rome finals.

Ruud gets a chance for revenge for a brutal hammering against Sinner here in 2025, after dismantling Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1 on May 16, another match interrupted by heavy rain.

The Norwegian has not won a single set in any of his four matches with Sinner and was destroyed 6-0, 6-1 in the last eight in one of the most one-sided matches.

“I think he’s playing much, much better tennis right now, so it’s going to be very tough,” said Sinner.

“Every match every week, even if you play with the same player week after week, it’s completely different, so I’m just happy to stand again here in the final.”

In the women’s final, Coco Gauff’s attempt to claim her first Rome title was still ongoing at press time as the American battled Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

Gauff lost to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the 2025 final but could go one better ahead of her Roland Garros title defence. AFP, REUTERS