Jannik Sinner Returns To Suspended Match Against Daniil Medvedev To Reach Italian Open Final

 

Jannik Sinner defied the odds to reach the Italian Open final for the second consecutive time, defeating Daniil Medvedev in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the semi-final. 

The match was suspended in the decider due to rainfall. Jannik was leading 4-2 (A/40) when the storm interrupted the match. On Saturday, the session resumed, and Jannik outlasted Medvedev, making it his fourth consecutive Masters 1000 victory over the Russian. 

"It has been a situation I haven't been in yet, where you need to finish when you're nearly over with the match," Jannik admitted when asked in a post-match interview. "You sleep, you don't know what's coming out the next day."

The Italian had to dig deeper to oust Medvedev. The first round was in his control, breaking twice to establish his dominance. However, that changed in the second set as the Russian claimed an early break, leaving Jannik to rally.  

Medvedev breaks for the first time in the eleventh game, taking a lead by three games to love. Jannik rallied from 40-0 in the fourth game of the second set, saving a break to claim his first game. He continued in the rally, breaking for the third, and leveled 3-3 in the sixth game. The set went this far when Jannik leveled at 5-5, saving a break to deny Medvedev a set point before the Russian broke for the second time to win the set. 

Jannik had not lost a set since the Madrid Open first round, losing the first set to Benjamin Bonzi. Even as the Russian claimed the first set of the decider, Jannik broke for the fourth time to lead by 3-1. The match was suspended at 4-2 until Saturday, when Jannik returned to win the decider. 

He is now set to meet Casper Ruud in the final. By reaching the final, he is set to win the Italian Open on his second attempt, becoming the first Italian player after Adriano Panatta to win a Masters 1000 title in Rome.