Sinner Reaches Rome Final After Medvedev Battle
Hope
World Tennis Number 1 Jannik Sinner kept his Career Golden Masters dream alive after defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a rain-affected semi-final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
The match, suspended late on Friday night because of heavy rain, resumed on Saturday with Sinner needing two games to secure victory and book his place in the ATP Masters 1000 final.
After dominating the opening set, Sinner was pushed into a more physical contest as Medvedev recovered strongly to level the match. The Italian regained control in the deciding set before rain halted play with him leading 4-2.
When play resumed nearly 18 hours later, Sinner held serve comfortably before eventually closing out the win in two hours and 37 minutes.
“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner said after the match. “Usually during the night I don’t struggle to sleep, but this time it was not easy. I am very happy with how I handled the situation and that I am back in the final.”
The victory sends Sinner into his second consecutive Rome final after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s championship match. He will now face Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final.
A win would see the 24-year-old become only the second player after Novak Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles.
Sinner also extended his ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 33 matches, surpassing Djokovic’s previous mark of 31 earlier in the tournament. The Italian has already won titles this season in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid.
Despite the defeat, Medvedev produced a strong fightback after losing the first set. The Russian adjusted his tactics effectively, forcing Sinner into longer rallies and physically demanding exchanges.
The result improves Sinner’s head-to-head record against Medvedev to 10-7, with the Italian now having won 10 of their last 11 meetings.
Medvedev is projected to move up to World No. 8 in the ATP Live Rankings following his semi-final run in Rome.
