Jannik Sinner outlasts Daniil Medvedev in Italian Open semis despite ailing in second set, rain postponement in third

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates a point against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during their semi-final, which was delayed yesterday due to rainfall, at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 16, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images) TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images Daniil Medvedev has struggled mightily on clay during his career. The Russian was notoriously blanked 6-0, 6-0 in Monte Carlo last month.

On his way to an early exit from that ATP Masters 1000 event, the former world No. 1 drew ire and received a fine for smashing his racket seven times in a contest that lasted all of 49 minutes. But on Friday, against the current world No.

1, Medvedev found himself playing much longer in Rome, on the very surface that’s caused him so much trouble over the years. The 30-year-old Medvedev, seeded seventh in the Italian Open, gave top-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner everything he could handle in the semifinals. Medvedev forced a third set, threatening Sinner’s 32-match win streak in Masters 1000 events — a record-breaking mark he set on Thursday, surpassing Serbian great Novak Djokovic — and, by extension, jeopardizing Sinner’s similarly trail-blazing streak of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles .

Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament Ultimately, Sinner escaped unscathed in a match that saw him physically taxed, bent over and taking a medical timeout in the third set. After all of that, play was suspended due to rain in the seventh game of that fateful set. Following a postponement, Sinner, already up 4-2, finished off Medvedev on Saturday after 15 minutes, advancing to the final, thanks to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 triumph .