Rain Suspends Rome SF with Sinner Leading Medvedev 4-2 in Third Set

By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 15, 2026
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Facebook

Rain stalled Jannik Sinner’s Masters reign—at least for a night.

World No. 1 Sinner held a 6-2, 5-7, 4-2 lead over Daniil Medvedev in tonight’s second Rome semifinal when heavy rain suspended play at about 9:45 p.m. local time.

The semifinal will resume at 3 p.m. Rome time (9 a.m. Eastern time) with Medvedev serving Ad-In down a break at 2-4 in the final set.

The top-seeded Sinner rides a record 32-match ATP Masters 1000 winning streak into the semifinal resumption.

The 24-year-old Italian is playing to become just the second man to reach six consecutive ATP Masters 1000 finals after Novak Djokovic (2015-2016) and join Rafael Nadal as the second man to reach the first five Masters 1000 events to start a season. Sinner is striving to become the first Italian man since legendary Adriano Panatta in 1976 to win Rome and join Djokovic as the second man to collect all nine ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

The winner of the Sinner-Medvedev match will meet 23rd-seeded Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final.

Earlier, Ruud rolled Italian Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-1, in a 65-minute thrashing to post his fourth Top 20 win of the tournament and power into his 27th career Tour-level final.

Clad completely in black, Sinner defused Medvedev in an electrifying start to the second semifinal that showed the Wimbledon winner’s dominance before Medvedev battled back in the second set. 

Blasting a backhand crosscourt winner, Sinner stamped a love hold. 

The top seed froze the net-rushing Russian with a clever backhand lob for double break point. When Medvedev looped a lob long, Sinner scored the double break for 3-0 after a mere 11 minutes.

A frustrated Medvedev was muttering sarcastic suggestions back at coach Thomas Johansson in the support box as Sinner slammed a 128 mph second serve that catapulted off the service line sealing his second straight love hold for 4-0.

Leaden skies were starting to brighten when Sinner converted his second set point to seize a one-set lead after 33 minutes.

The man in black darkened Medvedev’s day on serve winning 16 of 18 service points. 

In the previous round, Andrey Rublev snapped Sinner’s streak of 61 consecutive service holds during the Italian’s 6-2, 6-4 sweep of the Russian. Rublev, Godfather to Medvedev’s oldest daughter, typically stands closer to the baseline on return than Medvedev, who was neutered by Sinner’s whipping wide serve.

Striking from all areas of the court, Sinner nearly tripled Medvedev’s winner total—14 to 5—in the opener.

Dismissing the dismal start, Medvedev went to work in baseline exchanges and drew a netted forehand down the line for a break point in the second game. Medvedev played a challenging drop shot that Sinner reached only to shovel his reply long as the Russian broke serve in the second game.

The 2023 champion backed up the break for a 3-0 lead after 46 minutes of play. 

A few times, Sinner hunched over and gulped air as if feeling the physicality more than his 30-year-old opponent.

Still, Sinner fought off three break points in the fourth game—including successive slick serve-and-forehand swing volley winners—holding to get on the board.

Hitting his two-hander down the line into Medvedev’s forehand wing, Sinner drew a few flying forehand errors earning break points in the fifth game. Medvedev netted a running forehand as Sinner broke for 2-3 and raised a clenched fist exhorting roaring Italian fans to make even more noise.

When Sinner snapped off an ace out wide to end a tense deuce game and hold for 5-all Italian fans erupted in a chorus of “Ole! Ole! Ole! Sinner! Sinner!”

Medvedev muted the Foro Italico faithful throwing down a strong hold for 6-5.

Repeatedly dabbing the drop shot to test the top seed’s legs, Medvedev looked fresher physically as he carved a backhand dropper and flicked a forehand pass for a third set point.

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Trying to shorten the point, Sinner swept a drop shot but Medvedev read it. The Russian raced forward and banged a backhand crosscourt breaking to snatch the second set and force a third after one hour, 41 minutes.

Striking with more self-assurance, Sinner broke at 15 for 2-1. A sprinting Sinner slid a forehand pass crosscourt to back up the break for 3-1.

Medvedev slid an ace to hold for 2-3 then Sinner took a medical timeout for treatment on his right thigh prompting Medvedev to ask the chair umpire if the treatment was for cramping.

The world No. 9 was serving Ad-In down 2-4 when a spitting shower intensified into a relentless rain. That prompted a suspension of play at about 9:45 p.m. local time.