Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev to set up Italian Open final against Ruud

ROME: Jannik Sinner played through exhaustion and maintained his focus overnight to beat Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 when their rain-delayed semifinal resumed on Saturday to extend his winning streak to 28 matches and set up an Italian Open final against Casper Ruud. The top-ranked Sinner is one victory away from becoming only the second man, after Novak Djokovic, to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Rome is the only event in the Master series — the biggest outside the Grand Slams — that Sinner hasn’t won. Djokovic won each Masters event at least twice.

Sinner had led 4-2 in the third set when the match was suspended late Friday. The Italian finished off the match quickly when play resumed on Saturday, sealing it on his third match point after Medvedev had managed to fend off two on his serve.

Earlier on Friday on the red clay of the Foro Italico, Ruud maintained his focus during a nearly two-hour rain delay to rout home player Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1. Agencies

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