Rome, May 17 (H.S.): Returning after a three-month doping ban, Jannik Sinner has made a stunning entry into the final of the Italian Open. In the semifinal match played on Friday, he defeated America's Tommy Paul with a score of 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 to secure his spot in the title match. Now he will face Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the final in Rome for the first time after defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6(4).

Sinner is just one step away from making history. If he wins, he will become the first Italian male player to win the Rome Masters title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Earlier, Sinner had triumphed over Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. Although he looked shaky in the first set of the semifinal, he made a remarkable comeback to claim the match.

At the end of the match, Sinner was seen holding his thigh and appeared to be in pain. He later revealed that he developed blisters on his feet during the third round, causing movement issues. However, he stated, “No excuses. There will be a lot of energy from the adrenaline in the final. I am fully prepared.”

This match between Sinner and Alcaraz will be their first encounter since the Beijing Open final (October 2024), where Alcaraz triumphed in the third set tiebreaker. The two have faced each other a total of 10 times, with Alcaraz leading 6-4, having won the last three matches consecutively.

Interestingly, since losing in Beijing, Sinner has not lost a single match and is on a winning streak of 26 matches. This is his first tournament since winning the Australian Open.

This season has been remarkable for Alcaraz as well. He won the Monte Carlo Masters, was the runner-up at the Barcelona Open, and is now in the Rome final. However, he withdrew from the Madrid Open due to injury. Currently, he is playing while wearing a long black brace on his right foot, but it does not seem to be affecting his game significantly.

In the women’s final on Saturday, America's Coco Gauff will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini. Meanwhile, the duo of Paolini and Sara Errani also reached the finals in doubles after defeating Russia's Mira Andreyeva and Diana Schneider 6-4, 6-4.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar