Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will have to return to court on Saturday afternoon after their Italian Open semi-final match at Foro Italico was suspended late on Friday due to heavy rain in Rome. Playing in the late match on Centre Court, the pair slugged it out for two and a half sets before rain started to fall at about 21:43 local time, but play continued despite Sinner asking the chair umpire to check the lines.
“I think it’s playable,” Aurelie Tourte told the Italian, but the rain became heavier and a few points later he again complained, but the answer was the same as the official said: “I know the conditions are difficult, but as long as the court is good, we can play.” The match was officially stopped at 21:45 with Sinner two games away from victory as he was leading 6-2, 5-7, 4-2 with Medvedev holding a game advantage on his own serve. Italian Open News Daniil Medvedev issues strong complaint about Jannik Sinner’s conduct in Rome Jannik Sinner criticised for making a ‘bizarre’ mistake against Daniil Medvedev in Rome Italian Open organisers have confirmed that the match will resume at 15:00 local time (14:00 BST) on Saturday on Centre Court.
The encounter will be sandwiched between the men’s doubles clash between Simone Bolelli-Andrea Vavassori and Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski, and the women’s final between Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina with the latter match starting 17:00 at the earliest. Weather Update Heavy rain fell overnight in Rome and thunderstorms are expected in the morning, but conditions will improve before midday as mostly sunny weather is expected with the temperature ranging between 17 and 19 degrees until 20:00.
What Happened On Friday? World No 1 Sinner dominated the first set as he broke twice to race into a 4-0 lead before Medvedev finally found a bit of rhythm to get on the scoreboard, but his revival was too late in the opening set as the top seed served it out.
Medvedev then became the first player to take a set off the Italian at this year’s event as he broke twice in the second set with the local hero visibly struggling and requiring a medical timeout. The Russian was not happy and complained to Tourte as he believed the world No 1 was receiving treatment for cramp, which is not allowed.
Sinner then found his second wind as he broke in the third game of the decider and had another breakpoint in game five to go 4-1 up, but Medvedev managed to hold out. The winner of the second semi-final will go on to face Casper Ruud in the final after the Norwegian defeated Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1.
When asked about the possibility of facing Sinner, Ruud replied: “I just have to try to approach it as any other match, try not to think about the big wave in front, kind of with all the momentum he’s building, all the confidence and the records that he’s kind of building and breaking. “At the end of the day he’s human.
I have to try to think that way as much as I can. Last year I was kind of blown out of the court by him.
We will both remember it, of course. I hope that’s not the case.
“I will just try to stay in my lane, stay focused on the things I’m doing well, know that against him you have to not raise your level but two or three times in order to hang with him. That’s the goal I will think about for tomorrow in practice and the match.” tennis365.com”>Tennis365.
