Sinner leads Medvedev as rain suspends Italian Open semifinal

Jannik Sinner was two games from the Italian Open final when heavy rain stopped his semifinal against Daniil Medvedev, turning a near-certain finish at Campo Centrale into an overnight test of momentum, recovery and composure.

The world No. 1 led 6-2, 5-7, 4-2 when play was suspended at 9:45 p.m. Friday after 2 hours and 23 minutes on the red clay in Rome. Sinner had been dominant early in front of a partisan Foro Italico crowd, losing only two points on serve in the opening set, then regrouping after Medvedev became the first player in the tournament to take a set off him. The Russian lifted his level in the second set, but Sinner regained control quickly in the third and broke again before the weather intervened.

The interruption arrived as Sinner was also dealing with physical strain. He took a medical timeout after showing signs of cramping, adding another layer of uncertainty to a match already carrying major stakes. Sinner entered the semifinal on a 32-match ATP Masters 1000 winning streak, a new record that broke Novak Djokovic’s previous mark of 31, and he had secured that 32nd straight win with a 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Andrey Rublev.

ATP said the semifinal would resume Saturday at 3 p.m. in Rome, ahead of the women’s singles final between Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina, scheduled for not before 5 p.m. That compressed timetable underscored the challenge for organizers at a tournament where weather has already complicated the schedule and where the final weekend now hinges on how well players can reset after a late-night stoppage.

The winner will face Casper Ruud, who reached his first Rome final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Luciano Darderi in 66 minutes. Darderi was playing in his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, but Ruud imposed himself quickly and efficiently, becoming the sixth active player to reach finals in Rome, Madrid and Monte-Carlo. The Norwegian has now completed finals at the four major clay-court events, including Roland-Garros, Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

For Sinner, the equation is sharper. He is chasing a sixth consecutive Masters 1000 title, with recent triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid already in the bag. The rain has postponed the finish, but it has also shifted the competitive question from whether Sinner was in command to whether an enforced overnight pause can interrupt a player who had looked nearly untouchable on home clay.