Jannik Sinner delivered a crushing performance against Casper Ruud, dropping just a single game to secure his spot in the Italian Open semi-finals with ease.
Sinner, competing this week for the first time since his Australian Open victory in January following a three-month doping ban, overpowered Ruud 6-0, 6-1 in a swift 63 minutes.
When asked if his victory was close to perfection, Sinner responded: “It`s difficult to say, but I felt fantastic on the court, and everyone could see that.”
He further explained his objective for the week: “My aim this week is to gauge my current level, and I feel it`s improving daily. Things can change rapidly, and one match doesn`t reveal everything about my form right now, but I`m very pleased. My movement on the court was excellent.”
Paul Reaches Semi-Final Despite Off-Court Issues
Sinner`s opponent in the semi-finals will be Tommy Paul. The American, seeded 11th, has reached the final four in Rome for the second consecutive year after defeating Poland`s Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (4), 6-3.
However, Paul admitted his focus hasn`t been entirely on tennis. The 27-year-old shared with reporters after his match that his truck had been repossessed.
He stated: “On court, things are going quite well. Off court, it`s been a somewhat stressful week. My truck was repossessed.”
“I missed a few payments, and they took my truck from my home this week. I`ve been pushing hard to get my truck back. If you know me, that vehicle is my pride and joy. I`m eager to get it back. I needed to win a couple of matches so I could pay off the debt.”
Paul, who resides in Florida, confirmed he paid 1,000 US dollars to recover the vehicle, arranging for his trainer to collect it while he was competing on the European clay.
Gauff and Paolini Set for Women`s Final Showdown
While Sinner is considered the favourite in his upcoming semi-final match, the women`s tournament already has an Italian finalist. Jasmine Paolini secured her place by defeating Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1.
Paolini, the sixth seed, who is aspiring to become the first Italian women`s singles champion here since 1985, showed resilience by coming back from 3-5 down in the opening set. She saved three set points before comfortably overcoming her American opponent.
Jasmine Paolini will face Coco Gauff in the final. The fourth seed, Gauff, booked her spot after a hard-fought semi-final battle against Qinwen Zheng, winning 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (4).
