Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev will return to court on Saturday after their dramatic semifinal at the Italian Open was suspended because of heavy rain in Rome.
When will the Italian Open semifinal resume?
Tournament organizers confirmed the match will resume at 3 PM local time on Saturday, two hours before the scheduled women’s final between Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina.
Play was halted Friday night with Sinner leading 6-2, 5-7, 4-2 in the deciding set.
Why the semifinal was suspended
Rain had already disrupted action multiple times during the day at Foro Italico before conditions finally became unplayable late in the third set.
The semifinal was officially suspended shortly before 11 PM local time after organizers waited more than an hour hoping conditions would improve. At the time of the stoppage, Sinner appeared to have regained momentum after surviving a difficult second set against the former world No 1.
The Italian had broken Medvedev’s serve early in the decider and looked close to sealing another major victory before the weather intervened.
Sinner battled physical discomfort during match
The semifinal was not only physically demanding because of the weather. Sinner visibly struggled for stretches of the contest, particularly during the second set when cameras repeatedly showed him leaning on his racket and attempting to catch his breath between points.
The world No 1 appeared exhausted after several long rallies as Medvedev dragged the match into a more defensive and grinding rhythm. Despite those struggles, Sinner regained control in the third set after Medvedev handed back momentum with two consecutive double faults during a crucial service game.
Medvedev pushed Sinner harder than anyone in Rome
Coming into the semifinal, Sinner had largely cruised through the tournament while extending one of the most dominant stretches in recent ATP history.
The Italian entered Rome riding a 32-match winning streak in Masters 1000 events and chasing a 33rd straight victory at the ATP’s top-ranked tournaments.
But Medvedev gave him his toughest challenge of the week.
Sinner stormed through the opening set in just 33 minutes after winning the first four games, but the Russian responded by slowing the tempo and forcing the match into longer exchanges.
Medvedev eventually captured the second set 7-5 as Sinner’s physical condition became increasingly noticeable.
What is at stake for Sinner?
Victory would move Sinner into another Italian Open final and keep alive hopes of becoming the first Italian man to win the Rome title in decades. The 24-year-old is also attempting to complete the Career Golden Masters, winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, a feat only Novak Djokovic has achieved.
Beyond the records, Sinner’s recent dominance has strengthened his position as the leading force in men’s tennis heading into the French Open.
His improved clay-court form has become one of the biggest storylines of the season after previously being viewed primarily as a hard-court specialist.
Who awaits in the final?
The winner of the suspended semifinal will face Casper Ruud in the championship match. Ruud advanced earlier Friday after defeating Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1 in another rain-affected semifinal.
“It will be a tough match no matter who it is,” Ruud said afterward.
“If it’s Jannik it will be another test for me and hopefully I can get some sort of revenge from from last time we played.”
Sinner has dominated Ruud in recent meetings, including a crushing 6-0, 6-1 victory at Foro Italico last year.
