Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final.
American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours.
Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in Madrid earlier this month.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In his previous matches Sinner looked to be still finding his feet after his suspension, accepted from the World Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year, but the 23-year-old demolished sixth seed Ruud in just over an hour with an ominous display of tennis, his domination such that the home fans at the packed center court, seemingly out of sympathy, began to cheer the rare points that Ruud won.
“I was feeling great on court today. I think we all saw that,” Sinner said. “How I felt today was very, very positive signs for me... I was serving well and also returning well. Moving great on the court, so I’m very happy about that.”
Ruud even got the loudest celebration of the match when he held his serve for the only time, in the third game of the second set, holding his arms aloft in ironic joy.
“He was just everywhere ... it’s just like playing a wall that you know shoots hundred-miles-an-hour balls at you all the time,” a bewildered Ruud said.
Tommy Paul, a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 winner over Hubert Hurkacz in the day’s first match, will have wondered what on earth he can do to stop Sinner if the Italian brings that form to their last-four clash.
Sinner won the first set in just 27 minutes, giving up only seven points as he stalked the court with intent, dressed all in black as he has been all week.
He then maintained his record of not dropping a set in the tournament to not so much stroll as smash into the last four, and send a message to Carlos Alcaraz.
Spaniard Alcaraz, Sinner’s key Grand Slam rival ahead of the French Open, is to contest the other semi-final with Lorenzo Musetti, with the blockbuster final tennis fans wanted still on.
Gauff prevailed on a center court left mostly empty by fans who headed for the exits in large numbers after watching Sinner’s tennis clinic.
Former US Open winner Gauff won her third straight match against Olympic gold medalist Zheng, after coming through a tie in which she made 15 double faults on serve and there were a combined total of 156 unforced errors.
The 21-year-old is looking for her first title of the season after losing the Madrid final to Aryna Sabalenka, and against home hope Paolini will find herself in a much fiercer atmosphere than the soporific crowd which stayed until past midnight to watch her reach her second final of the year.
“I told myself I’m ready to go home,” an exhausted Gauff said. “It was tough for me, finding my rhythm, especially at night, it was so slow, I just tried to stay in there. I was frustrated. She forced me to get out of my comfort zone.”
Sixth seed Paolini is the third Italian woman to reach the final, and the first since her doubles partner Sara Errani was thumped by Serena Williams in 2014.
Late bloomer Paolini, 29, will have a chance to be the first woman from the Mediterranean nation to win in Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985, after beating Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1.
“It’s a privilege to be in this position. I matured late as a tennis player, but everyone has their own path. Some mature earlier and some later,” Paolini said. “I’m just enjoying it without thinking too much about the past.”
Paolini could yet win both the singles and women’s doubles tournaments, with her and Errani set to take on Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider in the doubles semi-finals.
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