Tag: Italian Open

Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open on Sunday after beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to claim a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victory.

World number one Sinner has now completed the ‘Golden Masters’ by winning all of the ATP’s top-ranked events after becoming the first Italian champion at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.

Only Novak Djokovic had previously won all nine Masters 1000 events before Sunday, but there was little doubt about Sinner triumphing over the last 10 days.

Sinner heads into Roland Garros, which starts next weekend, on a 29-match winning streak after beating Ruud for a fifth time in as many meetings.

And his run of match wins is even longer, 34, in Masters 1000 tournaments, another record he has established in a season in which he has dominated the men’s tour.

Jannik Sinner can complete his collection of Grand Slams at Roland Garros, and with his great rival Carlos Alcaraz out of action, few would bet against him securing a first title on Paris clay.

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Ruud has won more matches and tournaments on clay than anyone else on the men’s tour since the start of 2020 — last winning a Masters 1000 event at Madrid last year, but he couldn’t beat Sinner for the first time.

Norwegian Ruud had never won a set against Sinner in any of their previous four meetings, but immediately improved on the fearful hammering he received here from the Italian last year by winning the first two games.

But Sinner broke straight back and took the lead in the match after an opening set in which world number 25 held his own against a player he’d previously said, “cannot lose”.

Sinner then broke Ruud again at the start of the second set, and from there it was just a matter of time before he won the championship, even though Ruud performed with credit in front of a packed centre court crowd.

It was a good day for Italian tennis as Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori also won the men’s doubles title, beating second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (3/7), 10-3.

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Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday after seeing off Andrey Rublev and establishing a new record of consecutive wins in Masters 1000 tournaments.

Another straight-sets victory, this time 6-2, 6-4 over Rublev, moved Sinner up to 32 straight wins in the ATP’s top-ranked events, one more than the previous record established by Novak Djokovic in 2011.

“I don’t play for records, I play just for my own story,” said Sinner on court.

“At the same time, it means a lot to me, but tomorrow is another day, another opponent, a different opponent.”

Rublev was Sinner’s first seeded opponent at this year’s tournament in Rome, and the world number one made short work of his task in front of a delighted center court.

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On Friday, Sinner could face Daniil Medvedev, winner of the 2023 title at the Foro Italico, with the seventh seed taking on lucky loser Martin Landaluce in the first match of the evening session, which is scheduled to start at 17:00 GMT.

Sinner looks near unbeatable at the moment, and with his great rival Carlos Alcaraz out injured, he is the heavy favorite to become the first Italian to win the Rome title in five decades, with a potential career Grand Slam on the cards at the French Open.

Rublev offered little resistance, the Russian dropping his own serve in the first game of both sets to give Sinner a handy leg-up, and committing 28 unforced errors in 18 games.

Sinner, meanwhile, showed flashes of his best tennis but also started to look tired towards the end of the match, visibly touching his left thigh before confidently serving for the match.

“I’s starting to feel that I’ve been playing a lot, so I need to recover as much as possible because tomorrow wil be very difficult,” Sinner later told reporters.

“However it goes it will be a win for me, if I win great but even if things don’t go well that OK because I’ll have a few more days to prepare for Paris which is my main objective this year.”

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Jannik Sinner breezed into the last 16 of the Italian Open on Monday after swatting aside Alexei Popyrin in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0, to continue his bid for a first title in Rome.

The world number one easily won his 25th straight match, taking just over an hour to see off Australia’s Popyrin and set up an Italian derby with Andrea Pellegrino in the next round.

Pellegrino, 29, who beat 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (10/8), 6-1, is a qualifier ranked 155 in the world who before this week had never played in the main draw of a Masters 1000 tournament.

“It’s fun to play a derby in Italy, he’s having an incredible tournament with a lot of victories against some really good oppoonents,” Sinner told reporters.

“We’ve played each other a long time ago (in 2019 in an ITF tournament), but he was a different player, and I was a different player.”

Sinner, meanwhile, is trying to extend his own record-breaking run of overall victories in the ATP’s top-ranked events after having won his last five.

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The 24-year-old joins Novak Djokovic as the only player to win a year’s first 25 Master 1000 matches, with the Serbian tennis icon’s record run stretching to 31 matches in 2011.

Popyrin was suffocated by Sinner and made 23 unforced errors on his way to a comprehensive defeat.

The world number 60 only got 48 percent of first serves into play and that allowed Sinner to break five times and close out a match which was barely a contest.

“He’s a big server so his percentage was not very high, which helped me for sure a little bit, but I’ve been returning very well the second serves,” said Sinner.

Should Sinner prevail at the Foro Italico he will be the first Italian to win there since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago, and would complete his collection of Master 1000 tournaments.

With great rival Carlos Alcaraz out injured and Novak Djokovic eliminated early, Sinner will be red-hot favorite as he builds towards completing the career Grand Slam at the French Open, which starts next week.

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Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the Italian Open in the second round on Friday by Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was making his comeback from a shoulder injury in the last big tournament before the French Open.

Djokovic was playing for the first time since losing in the last 16 at Indian Wells in March, having pulled out of tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.

The 38-year-old had not been knocked out this early in a tournament since the Madrid Open last year, and looked a long way from the player who has won six Rome titles.

“I don’t think I played so bad, to be honest,” Djokovic told reporters. “It was OK, it was a good battle in the end, but obviously I see what I’m missing. I’m late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level to compete.”

Novak Djokovic added that he hopes he can be in good condition for Roland Garros, which starts later this month, saying, “let’s see what happens”.

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Playing with a shoulder brace, Djokovic had breezed through the first set, helped by Prizmic’s 13 unforced errors.

But the world number four’s hitting started to look increasingly tentative as Prizmic rattled off four straight games at the start of the second set, with his powerful ground strokes finding their mark.

Prizmic came to the Italian capital with a career-high ranking of 79 after reaching the third round in Madrid — beating world number six Ben Shelton in the process — and had also dispatched Marton Fucsovics to set up his clash with Djokovic.

The 20-year-old reached the third round of a second consecutive Masters 1000 event with the biggest scalp of his career to date.

Djokovic is Prizmic’s idol, and a landmark win gives the young talent a match with either Ugo Humbert or Vit Kopriva and a chance to make the fourth round of a top-tier event on the ATP Tour for the first time.

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Aryna Sabalenka breezed into the third round of the Italian Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Barbora Krejcikova, 6-2, 6-3.

World number one and favourite for the women’s title in the Italian capital, Sabalenka took one hour and 25 minutes to see off Czech Krejcikova in the final match of the day on centre court.

Sabalenka has never won the Italian Open. Her run to the final two years ago, when she was lost to Iga Swiatek, was her best result.

But with the French Open around the corner, the Belarusian made no mistake against Krejcikova, a former Wimbledon and French Open champion.

Sabalenka lost the first game on her serve, but from there comfortably dealt with Krejcikova to set up a match with Sorana Cirstea in the next round.

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“I’m super happy to be through. She’s a great player. We had a lot of tough matches in the past,” Sabalenka said on court. “I’m of course happy with the level I played and to get this tough win.”

The top seed is on the same side of the draw as Coco Gauff, who beat Sabalenka in last year’s French Open final and made short work of Tereza Valentova in her opening match of the tournament.

American star Gauff beat Valentova 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 34 minutes in front of a sparsely-populated centre court, and will play Argentine Solana Sierra in the next round.

Earlier, Jasmine Paolini launched her title defence by battling back from a set down to beat France’s Leolia Jeanjean 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-4.

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Carlos Alcaraz strode into the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday after putting in a powerful display to down Jack Draper in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Third seed Alcaraz will face one of reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev and home hope Lorenzo Musetti, the day’s final pairing on centre court, in the last four at the Foro Italico.

His impressive win over Draper kept alive his chances of a third title of the season and also moved him up to number two in the world rankings behind Jannik Sinner.

The Spaniard also bagged a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month, but in the meantime the four-time Grand Slam winner continues his bid for a first Rome crown.

Carlos Alcaraz had to be at his best to down fifth seed Draper, who put in another strong showing on clay in Italy after losing the Madrid Open final to Casper Ruud.

Draper was trying to become the first British man to reach the last four in the Italian capital since 2016, when Andy Murray was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final.

But he lost control of the first set when after taking a two-game lead he was broken twice by Alcaraz who then took the lead in the match.

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And Alcaraz made sure of victory by saving two break points in a 10-minute game eight of the second set, before breaking Draper to love to go 5-4 ahead in the set and then serve out the match at the first time of asking.

Ruud’s attempt at a Madrid and Rome double has a Jannik Sinner-shaped obstacle in its way after the world number seven won his postponed match with Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4.

Sixth seed Ruud was supposed to play on Tuesday but an afternoon downpour forced his match to be moved back a day, and he convincingly secured a quarter-final date with Sinner.

“It was a little bit tough, you’re waiting all day yesterday to try to play and you don’t get on… I’m proud of the way I handled it.” said Ruud, who has won more matches on clay than any other player on the men’s tour in the last five years.

“Tomorrow will be one of toughest matches of the year, probably. I got beaten pretty bad by Jannik last time in Turin (at the ATP Finals)… Let’s see, he’s been looking good since the first match.”

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Carlos Alcaraz reached the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after battling past Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 to continue his bid for a first Rome title.

Third seed Alcaraz had never lost a set in his previous four meetings with Russia’s Khachanov but was forced to fight on the Foro Italico centre court.

Alcaraz needs to get to the Rome semis not just for a chance at his third title of the season but also to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month.

The Spaniard took his 12th clay-court win of the year to set up a clash in the last eight with fifth seed Jack Draper, a winner over France’s Corentin Moutet.

“It was tiring. You know the match was really tough. I had to run. I had to run a lot,” said Alcaraz.

“I didn’t play well. I just fought and I’m just really happy about it.”

Alcaraz seemed set to cruise through when he rattled off six games in a row to win the first set and the first game of the second.

Khachanov’s fate looked sealed when his serve was broken in game five of the second set, but the big hitter had other ideas and immediately broke back before claiming the set.

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And the 28-year-old showed incredible spirit to win three games on the bounce to level the third set at 4-4, just as Alcaraz look certain to win.

But Carlos Alcaraz would not be denied and took an entertaining match at the second time of asking.

Later Jannik Sinner faces the first true test of his pre-Roland Garros form when he takes on Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.

On Monday the world number one dealt with lucky loser Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-2, the second of two straightforward matches to begin his Rome comeback from a three-month doping ban.

The 23-year-old was knocked out in the last 16 by Cerundolo the last time he played here, in 2023.

Reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev is also in action against Arthur Fils in a day dominated by the men’s tournament.

Sinner’s compatriot Jasmine Paolini stars in one of two women’s quarter-finals, the sixth seed taking on Diana Shnaider on centre court.

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Jannik Sinner made no mistake on his return to tennis on Saturday after a three-month doping ban, sweeping aside Mariano Navone in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 at the Italian Open in front of thrilled fans in Rome.

World number one Jannik Sinner cruised past Argentina’s Navone in one hour and 39 minutes in front of over 10,000 supporters at the Foro Italico to set up a third-round clash with lucky loser Jesper de Jong.

The Italian had not played since winning the Australian Open in January due to the suspension he accepted from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the following month.

He twice tested positive for traces of banned substance clostebol in March last year, although WADA accepted that the 23-year-old had been accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist.

And Sinner delighted a partisan and packed centre court in the Italian capital, shaking off the cobwebs as he eyes a run at Roland Garros later this month.

“I tried to give everything I have, you know, I think that’s the only thing I can do. That’s the only thing I can control right now.” said Jannik Sinner.

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“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s a special feeling. I never take things granted. And yeah, I’m just happy to be back.”

The three-time Grand Slam winner’s last clay court match was his epic semi-final defeat to rival Carlos Alcaraz at last year’s French Open, and while the crowd matched such a big occasion on Saturday, the tennis did not.

Alcaraz was a short walk away at the Stadio Olimpico to watch his footballer friend Patric play for Lazio while Sinner took on world number 99 Navone.

And the Spaniard, who faces Laslo Djere on Sunday night, would not have been surprised to hear that Sinner dealt with Navone in a perfunctory, unflashy manner to begin his comeback in style.

It was a good day for Italian fans who also watched Rome-born Matteo Berrettini beat Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) in his first match at his home tournament in four years.

Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, who withdrew from the Madrid Open with the latest in a long line of abdominal injuries, will face Madrid champion Casper Ruud in the third round with the Norwegian beating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

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ROME: Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina fought from 4-1 down in the second set to overhaul Jelena Ostapenko on Friday to reach the final of the Italian Open.

The 6-2, 6-4 comeback from the Kazakh sent Elena Rybakina into her fourth major final of the season after the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.

She will bid for the trophy on Saturday against Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, who reached the second WTA final of her career with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 defeat of Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.

The winner then gave a shout-out to her country, invaded by Russia last year, as she moved into the title match at the Foro Italico.

“It’s absolutely important to try and win every match, (considering) what Ukraine is going through,” she said.

“I hope I can give a small light and maybe some positive emotions to my country.”

Elena Rybankina will need a quick turnaround after winning a rain-interrupted Italian Open semi-final in just under one and three quarter hours, aided by 33 unforced errors from 2017 Roland Garros champion Ostapenko.

The second-set fightback sealed victory for Elena Rybakina on her first match point as her opponent dumped a volley into the net.

“It was not easy at all with the starting and stopping,” the winner said. “I need to recover for the final.”

Everyone knows how good Anhelina is, we are also good friends – if you can say that (in tennis).

“It will be a tough match for sure. I think of course I’m more consistent, there are still a lot of things to improve.

“But I’m happy that physically I can maintain and stay in the tournament till the end.

Elena Rybakina was pleased with her second-set turnaround.

“I didn’t start that well, I was a bit low in energy. Lost my serve. So it was difficult.

“Then a few good shots from her, good serves – it changed very quickly.

“I just tried to focus on every point and got the break back and served really well after that.”

Earlier Kalinina pointedly refused to shake hands with her defeated Russian Kudermetova opponent and made no apologies for the snub.

“We didn’t shake hands because the girl is from Russia basically. It’s no secret why I didn’t shake, because this country actually attacked Ukraine,” she said.

“This is sport, but it’s also kind of a politician thing. It’s nothing personal. But in general, yes, it’s not acceptable.”

Kalinina will be the lowest ranked finalist at the Italian Open since 1986 and will rise to her equal career-high ranking of 28th.

It took her nearly three hours to go through in a match played 72 hours after she won another marathon in the quarter-finals.

“I don’t feel my legs, I’ve played so much tennis last couple of days – all three-setters,” the winner said.

“I’m barely walking but I’m happy to be able to go through.”

The Ukrainian dominated the third set after a back-and-forth battle in the earlier chapters on the clay.

Kalinina saved eight break points over two games in the first set before finally taking a 4-3 lead with a break to love.

Kudermetova stayed in touch, delivering two aces to trail 4-5, with Kalinina subsequently broken as she tried to serve out the set.

But the Ukrainian came good on a second chance, winning it 7-5 after 66 minutes thanks to 18 unforced errors from her opponent.

The second set began with a pair of love holds before Kudermetova handed over a break for 3-2 to Kalinina from a long forehand.

The Ukrainian, who lost her only previous WTA final two years ago in Budapest, was broken to love while serving for the match, with a recharged Kudermetova taking a 6-5 lead.

She quickly captured one more game after winning 16 straight points to throw the match into a deciding third set.

Kudermetova saved three break points but fell short on a fourth to lose serve in the opening game of the third set as she went down to defeat.

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ROME: Third seed Daniil Medvedev and 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas powered into the Italian Open semi-finals on Thursday with comfortable straight-set wins.

Daniil Medvedev continued his clay breakthrough as he reached the final four 6-2, 6-2 over Yannick Hanfmann.

Greek Tsitsipas, the 2022 finalist,  subdued Croat Borna Coric 6-3, 6-4 on a day when the French Open field was blown wide open by the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal.

The iconic 14-time champion, 36, cast a huge shadow over his future in the game, confessing that he did not know when he would be fit from a hip injury which has kept him off court since January.

Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, has made big improvements in his clay game here after freely admitting he’s never been comfortable on the dirt.

He has shattered that stereotype with his steady progress at the Foro Italico, reaching his seventh semi-final of the season. Medvedev dominated number 101 German qualifier Hanfmann after settling in following breaks of serve in the opening three games in their Italian Open quarter-final.

After going down a break in the second set, the 31-year-old Hanfmann complained to his coaching box that he had no legs left as he played on prior to losing serve for the fifth time in the match.

But he struck back briefly with a break of the seed to hold on for 2-4 before dropping serve again as Medvedev moved into winning position, closing it out on a second match point.

“All of the courts are pretty different here, it was not easy to adapt for both of us,” Medvedev said.

“But I managed to adapt better. I’m really happy about it. A win is a win. Not counting the serve, I played well, returned well, moved well.

“I’m looking forward to the next round.”

Prior to this edition, Daniil Medvedev had never won a match in Italian Open and had little confidence in his game on the clay. He is now into the final four after four victories and the loss of just one set.

“Against Hanfmann I wanted to put as many balls into the court as possible. He plays very aggressive. I played deep to try and make him miss — and maybe he was not playing his best match.

“He was struggling more than me. I’m glad I was able to neutralise his game.”

Medvedev also increased his lead in Tour match wins as he claimed his 37th of the season.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was meanwhile dominant against Coric after losing to the Croat in three of five matches, including here in 2018 and in last summer’s Cincinnati final.

Stefanos Tsitsipas secured the opening set with a break and took a 2-1 lead in the second. But two double-faults contributed as he dropped serve for 4-4 only to break straight back and serve out victory a game later.

“These night sessions are becoming very fun,” the fifth seed said.

“This is clay and things can escalate very quickly,” he said of his stutter near the end.

“I managed my shotmaking at the important moments and was able to retrieve (the momentum) at the end.

“I felt the energy point by point.”

Tsitsipas and Medvedev have played 12 times to date with the latter leading 7-4.

“He’s playing well and I’m also feeling good on court. I hope he brings out the best in me — good preparation and off we go,” said Tsitsipas.

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