Sinner and Medvedev to resume Italian Open semi-final on Saturday
World number one Jannik Sinner will resume his Italian Open semi-final clash against Daniil Medvedev on Saturday with a lead after it was interrupted by rain. Sinner, who is bidding to become the first Italian winner in Rome since 1976, had to overcome fitness issues from the second set onwards to go within just two games of victory, leading 6-2, 5-7, 4-2. The Italian was looking to win his 33rd-straight match in a Masters event and started in dominant fashion as he broke Medvedev twice to cruise through the first set 6-2 in just 33 minutes.
But he started to encounter problems with his fitness in the second as Medvedev stormed into a 3-0 lead and it looked like Sinner was beginning to really struggle when he vomited in the corner. However, Sinner somehow broke back to make it 3-3 and – as it looked like the game was heading into a second-set tiebreak – Medvedev broke again in Sinner's final service game to make it 1-1 after a gruelling game which lasted around six minutes. Sinner broke early in the third set to put himself in the driving seat before the rain came and made sure the game would continue on Saturday in what was Sinner's toughest game of the tournament so far.