Italian Open LIVE: Rain delay takes Sinner & Medvedev's semi-final battle into the weekend

[p][b]23:26 CET - [/b]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=6XMkYEio"]semi-final battle between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev[/a] will be taken into the weekend, with conditions meaning that the match won't be able to finish tonight.[/p][p]Sinner heads into Saturday leading 6-2, 5-7, 4-2, with Medvedev a point away from holding serve and closing the deficit.[/p][p]We'll be back with a new tracker in the morning to provide coverage of that and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=hj88rrLj"]women's final between Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina[/a], so join us then![/p][embed guid="d6b41d3c-eb98-4b36-90ac-4d38993c4bf5" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055399075755810827" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]21:55 CET - [/b]We have our second rain delay of the day, and it's come at a crucial time, with Medvedev 4-2 down but a point away from holding serve in a game in which Sinner has been pushing to break serve again.[/p][p]It had become a fiery contest, with the Russian unhappy that the Italian had taken a lengthy medical timeout for what he felt was only cramp, but the sting has been taken out of it now.[/p][embed guid="e7e83d76-9411-464e-96d8-b12640f2167d" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055375605718212905" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]21:06 CET - [/b]We're heading to a decider in the second semi-final of the day![/p][p]It looked as if Sinner was going to run away with it when he won the opening set 6-2 in just 32 minutes, but Medvedev came out swinging at the start of the second, immediately getting a break of serve, and then did so again in the final game after being pegged back to prevail 7-5 level things up.[/p][p]That second set lasted one hour and nine minutes, and if the third is anything like it, this will go down as one of the matches of the year.[/p][embed guid="f313719e-47df-48d4-bcec-a27f618964e3" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2055365273125863846" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]19:18 CET - [/b]We're about to find out who will join Ruud in the final, and there's one clear favourite.[/p][p]Not only is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] on a record-breaking 32-match winning streak at Masters 1000 tournaments, but he's also won 11 of his last 12 and each of his last five clashes with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a].[/p][p]None of them came on clay, with the two never meeting on it before, but with it being the Russian's worst surface, anything other than a Sinner win tonight would be a big shock.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=6XMkYEio"]Follow every point of Sinner vs Medvedev here[/a][/b][/p][p][b]18:46 CET - [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a] has absolutely stormed into the final of the Italian Open, being equally as dominant in the second set to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darderi-luciano/jeXTxMIp/"]Luciano Darderi[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/darderi-l-jeXTxMIp/ruud-c-zN9UpRqp/?mid=WOHH2E53"]6-1, 6-1[/a].[/p][p]He dropped just 13 points on his serve and spent barely over an hour on court on his way to victory, ensuring that he'll be in the best condition possible for Sunday's final, which will be his fourth in a Masters 1000 tournament.[/p][embed guid="1d5e22ff-9613-4566-add0-dc470f399bbf" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055330237173403909" social-type="twitter" /][image alt="Ruud vs Darderi match stats" id="62aae367-12ba-46e7-bcb2-5be309dc904b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="66d828ff-383c-4ed5-b4bb-0c4e91f8408c" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]18:19 CET -[/b] We're finally back underway in the Italian capital, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a] has wrapped up the first set, taking it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/darderi-l-jeXTxMIp/ruud-c-zN9UpRqp/?mid=WOHH2E53"]6-1[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darderi-luciano/jeXTxMIp/"]Luciano Darderi[/a].[/p][p]The Norwegian proved too strong for his Italian opponent, winning 82% of points behind his first delivery while converting three of four break-point opportunities.[/p][embed guid="d14d75f8-05f0-41df-9b82-2b70a80a474b" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2055319730173489632" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]16:10 CET - [/b]The heavens have opened in Rome, and rain is pouring down all of a sudden, meaning the first men's semi-final has been interrupted. It could be a long break this - it doesn't look like a passing shower.[/p][embed guid="26bc2f55-9a4f-4a8a-ae96-21613444be1b" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055290979364598143" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]15:35 CET - [/b]The first men's semi-final at the Italian Open, between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a] and home hope [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darderi-luciano/jeXTxMIp/"]Luciano Darderi[/a], is just getting underway in Rome.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/darderi-l-jeXTxMIp/ruud-c-zN9UpRqp/?mid=WOHH2E53"]You can follow every point live here![/a][/b][/p][embed guid="455b5c2f-40b3-4f87-ad2c-8d94674bf4ef" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055012434620862727" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]14:05 CET - [/b]With just under 90 minutes until the first men's semi-final, let's take a look ahead to it.[/p][p]At 25 in the world, Casper Ruud may be five spots lower than Luciano Darderi in the ATP rankings, but he still heads into this as the favourite, thanks to his clay-court record.[/p][p]The Norwegian player has 12 clay-court titles to his name, including the 2025 Madrid Masters 1000, and has also reached two French Open finals. On the red stuff, he's a real force.[/p][image alt="Casper Ruud's career stats" id="c88ed04e-ef3c-42be-bdc4-a43118540a99" credit-line="Flashscore (Claudia Greco / Reuters)" guid="b65bf96c-1977-4961-9f49-de54bc07d7e5" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]That being said, Darderi is also something of a clay-court specialist, with his five ATP titles all coming on the surface. However, he's never made the final of a tournament as big as this one.[/p][p]He's played excellently this week, though, and will have the home crowd behind him.[/p][p][b]11:00 CET -[/b] Good morning and welcome to our coverage of men's semi-finals day at the Italian Open![/p][p]First up, at [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/darderi-l-jeXTxMIp/ruud-c-zN9UpRqp/?mid=WOHH2E53"]15:30 CET[/a][/b], Norway's resurgent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a] takes on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/darderi-luciano/jeXTxMIp/"]Luciano Darderi[/a], with the Italian making his first-ever appearance in a Masters semi-final.[/p][p]The pair have never met before, however, Ruud will certainly fancy his chances of reaching a 19th career final on his favourite surface, as he targets a first title since October 2025.[/p][embed guid="db5f372a-e7cf-4555-8db5-340a1ae7264e" url="https://x.com/InteBNLdItalia/status/2055170059992211967" social-type="twitter" /][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/medvedev-d-O8qG0Nhb/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=6XMkYEio"]second semi-final[/a] sees world number one and overwhelming favourite for the title, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a], take on 2023 champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/medvedev-daniil/O8qG0Nhb/"]Daniil Medvedev[/a].[/p][p]It's the 17th meeting between the pair, with Sinner - who leads the head-to-head record 9-7 - looking to move one step closer to completing the full set of Masters titles.[/p][p][b]Keep track of the men's draw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/rome/"]here[/a].[/b][/p]