Jannik Sinner cranks up his game to near-perfection in rout of Casper Ruud at Italian Open

By Canadian Press on May 15, 2025.

ROME (AP) — Maybe it was the pope’s blessing. Or maybe Jannik Sinner just likes playing against Casper Ruud.

Whatever it was, the top-ranked Sinner cranked up his level to near-perfection at times in a 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of Ruud in the Italian Open quarterfinals on Thursday — a day after Sinner was granted an audience with the new tennis-playing pope just down the road at the Vatican.

In his fourth match back after a three-month doping ban, Sinner blasted winners on the lines, finished off points with aggressive overhead smashes and never really let Ruud — one of the best clay-court players on tour — have a chance.

“I was feeling great on court today. I think we all saw that,” Sinner said. “I was trying to understand where my level is here in this tournament. … How I felt today was very, very positive signs for me.”

The seventh-ranked Ruud was coming off a title at the Madrid Open but in the first set he managed to win just seven points. The Norwegian dropped to 0-4 in his career against Sinner — and has never even taken a set off the Italian.

But then, nobody has taken a set off Sinner in his four matches in Rome — not bad for Sinner’s first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

“Every one of us has this one or two opponents where we struggle a little bit more and I was trying to replicate what I’ve done in the past on a different surface,” Sinner said of his previous meetings with Ruud.

When Ruud finally won a game early in the second set, he celebrated by raising both arms to the crowd and smiled. The match lasted 63 minutes.

Overall, Sinner won a whopping 55 of the 77 points, produced 22 winners to Ruud’s seven and had only 10 unforced errors to Ruud’s 17.

When they met at the net to shake hands after the match, Ruud appeared to be laughing at the disparity in the contest.

Sinner extended his winning streak to 25 matches, dating back to October.

In February, Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised some questions, since the three-month suspension conveniently allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams and come back at his home tournament.

Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts on May 25.

Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Sinner to face Tommy Paul

In Friday’s semifinals, Sinner will play Tommy Paul, who beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (4), 6-3 to become the fourth American in the Open Era to reach back-to-back semifinals in Rome after Eddie Dibbs (1978-79), Jim Courier (1992-93) and Pete Sampras (1993-94).

Paul also defeated Hurkacz in last year’s quarterfinals but then was beaten by Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals.

Sinner’s victory gives host Italy two players in the last four, since Lorenzo Musetti will face Carlos Alcaraz in the other semifinal.

Paolini in women’s final

Jasmine Paolini, another Italian, advanced to the women’s final.

Paolini saved three set points before gaining control in a 7-5, 6-1 win over American opponent Peyton Stearns to become the first Italian woman to reach the final in Rome since her doubles partner, Sara Errani, lost the 2014 championship match to Serena Williams.

“We have a great movement and I’m really honored to be part of it,” Paolini said.

The last Italian woman to win the Italian Open was Raffaella Reggi, who took the 1985 title in Taranto.

In Saturday’s final, the fifth-ranked Paolini will face either No. 3 Coco Gauff or Zheng Qinwen, who were playing later.

Paolini and Errani have also advanced to the doubles semifinals. The pair won gold at the Paris Olympics last year, crowning a stretch when Paolini also reached the singles finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press