Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, in a rain-delayed Italian Open semi-final.
The world number one was made to work hard for his place in the final, winning a thrilling Italian Open semi-final spread across two days.
He can now look ahead to the final, where he will play Norway’s Casper Ruud, who beat Luciano Darderi in the first semi-final.
Who will win the Italian Open final?
Jannik Sinner vs Casper Ruud
During his post-match press conference, Sinner provided a fitness update for the final.
Jannik Sinner admits his semi-final was ‘very tough’ physically ahead of Rome final vs Casper Ruud
“I had to fight very, very hard yesterday,” said Sinner.
“I knew before the match it could be very physical.
“First set I played really well, then the conditions became very, very heavy.
“It was tough to get through.
Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev – Match stats
| Stats | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev |
| Aces | 7 | 4 |
| Double faults | 2 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 60% | 63% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 75% | 67% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 63% | 48% |
| Break points | 4/10 | 2/7 |
“But at the same time, I tried to understand what’s working best. I tried to play with the best energy possible.
“Yesterday was very tough.
“Today, everything can happen because you start again from zero basically.
“Obviously, the position where I’ve been in was much better with a break up. When we played today was sunny, so different conditions.
“I’m happy that I got over the line.”
Sinner explained how he struggled to sleep on Friday evening.
“I struggled a bit to sleep this night. It has been a situation I haven’t been in yet, where you need to finish when you’re nearly over with the match,” he said.
“You sleep, you don’t know what’s coming out the next day.
“I think it’s normal that not every day we feel 100%.
“I tried to play with the best possible energy I have. Yesterday brought me to a point where I was up today.
“Today I’m very happy that I finished it.”
During Sky Sports’ post-match coverage, former British tennis star Annabel Croft delivered her verdict on Sinner’s hard-fought win.
“He’s just so calm,” she said.
“I think he’s so mentally strong under such immense pressure.
“He could well have done without this, couldn’t he, with the way he is feeling, the pressure on him.
“Everything that’s been going on the past few months, such a dominant force, everyone talking about the records he’s breaking.
“There’s a lot of pressure that he’s having to cope with; he clearly wasn’t feeling great yesterday. The fact that he was sick on court, doubled over, he could have just done with a complete day off today, who knows if he would have even practiced!
“But you have to admire the way he went about his business today, getting the job done.”
Laura Robson reacts to Flavia Pennetta’s comments about Jannik Sinner
When Sinner was struggling physically on Friday, former Italian tennis star Flavia Pennetta suggested he may have been dealing with an anxiety attack.
Sky Sports’ Laura Robson has now reacted to those comments.
“I think no matter what it is, whether it was a bit of cramp in this scenario, you can see him digging into the ribs as if it is a bit of a stitch, maybe, but the fact that it’s happened before means he doesn’t have to panic, he knows he can play through it,” she said.
“You don’t really want to speculate is it a panic attack, is it not.
Was Jannik Sinner wrong to call a medical time-out?
Daniil Medvedev wasn't happy!
“Obviously, there is a lot of anxiety in these big matches, especially when it’s your home crowd, when you’ve got all this pressure.
“Just watching him move across the grounds over this week has been so intense.
“He’s got the two security guards, there is so much attention on him in a week like this that maybe it was that.
“But the most important thing is that he didn’t stress out in that moment, just kind of rode it out, and if it was a stitch, it seemed to clear up.”
Sinner pushed through on Friday evening, securing a vital break that gave him the advantage for when play resumed on Saturday.
Wrapping up the win with ease, Sinner can now focus on the Italian Open final.
Sinner will meet Ruud in the Italian Open final on Sunday, May 17.
