Jannik Sinner beats Medvedev to reach Italian Open final

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the Italian Open semifinals after a rain suspension. The win extended his Masters 1000 streak to 33 and kept alive his bid for the Career Golden Masters

Rome: Home favourite Jannik Sinner held his nerve under immense pressure, surviving a fine performance by Daniil Medvedev and a late-night suspension before returning on Saturday afternoon to eventually fight past the Russian 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the semifinals of the Italian Open in Rome.

With this win, Sinner preserved his pursuit of the Career Golden Masters as he reached the final of the event in his home country.

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After a dominant first set, the World No. 1 was dragged into a gruelling contest, with Medvedev gradually imposing himself and forcing the Italian into extended defensive exchanges. When the 30-year-old levelled the match, Sinner appeared under severe pressure, but he responded with grit and composure to lead 4-2 before play was suspended for the night due to rain.

Returning to court 18 hours later, the Italian held to love and then had two match points on Medvedev’s serve. Though unable to finish the job on return, he held his nerve on serve to secure his place in the ATP Masters 1000 final.

“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner said. “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 this situation and that I’m back in the final.”

By reaching the Rome championship match for a second consecutive year — following defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2025 final — Sinner now stands one win away from completing the Career Golden Masters. If he defeats Casper Ruud in Sunday’s title showdown, the 24-year-old would become only the second man, alongside Novak Djokovic, to capture all nine Masters 1000 titles.

With this determined semi-final win, Sinner extended his record Masters 1000 winning streak to 33 matches, surpassing Djokovic’s previous benchmark of 31 after defeating Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. He also became just the second player, after Rafael Nadal in 2011, to reach the final of the season’s first five Masters 1000 tournaments, having already lifted trophies in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid.

Heavy rain in the Italian capital late on Friday night forced play to be suspended at 9:45 p.m. CEST. When play resumed on Saturday, Sinner clinically reeled off the two games he needed to earn a two-hour, 37-minute win.