ATP Tour

Sinner chases Career Golden Masters, Ruud seeks first Rome crown

Jannik Sinner will chase history on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he will aim to complete the Career Golden Masters on home soil in Rome.

Standing in his way on Campo Centrale is Casper Ruud, who is in the final in Rome for the first time and looking to score a maiden win against the Italian. Sinner leads Ruud 4-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head, including a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory in the quarter-finals in Rome last year. The Norwegian has never won a set against the Italian, but the top seed is not taking anything for granted ahead of their latest meeting.

“I think he is playing much, much better tennis right now, so I think it is going to be very tough,” Sinner said looking ahead to the final. “Every match, every week, it is very different. I am just happy to be standing here in the final. It is a special tournament for me and Italians and I will just try to do my best.”

Sinner is bidding to join Novak Djokovic as just the second player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 events since the series began in 1990. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings enters the final riding a record 33-match ATP Masters 1000 winning streak, having surpassed Djokovic’s previous mark of 31 after defeating Andrey Rublev earlier this week.

The 24-year-old has been nearly untouchable at Masters 1000 level over the past six months, capturing titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid to become the first player in history to win five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 crowns.

If Sinner captures his 10th Masters 1000 crown on Sunday, he would become the first Italian champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Sinner has not dropped a set in any of the nine previous finals at this level he has won.

Read more from Rome
Sinner survives Medvedev test & late-night suspension
Ruud downs Darderi to reach first Rome final

However, Ruud can take confidence in his performances in the ‘Eternal City’ and the additional recovery time he has had. The Norwegian earned a 6-1, 6-1 semi-final win on Friday against Luciano Darderi and only on one occasion has lost more than four games in a set en route to his fourth Masters 1000 title match.

“I just have to try to approach it as any other match,” Ruud said ahead of the final. “Try not to think about the big wave in front, kind of with all the momentum he's building, all the confidence and the records that he's building and breaking.

“At the end of the day, [Sinner’s] human. I have to try to think that way as much as I can. Last year, I was blown out of the court by him. We will both remember it. I hope that's not the case [this time]. I will try to stay in my lane, stay focused on the things I'm doing well. I know that against him, you have to raise your level two or three times to hang with him.”

The 27-year-old owns a 21-6 record in Rome, having reached three previous semi-finals at the Foro Italico. Ruud has also tasted success at Masters 1000 level, having lifted the Madrid trophy last season. The Norwegian is the sixth active player to reach the final at all three clay-court Masters 1000 events (Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome).

Ruud may also benefit from additional recovery time after Sinner’s semi-final against Daniil Medvedev was suspended by rain late Friday and completed Saturday afternoon. The World No. 1 was pushed physically in his 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 two-hour, 37-minute triumph.

The 14-time tour-level titlist Ruud dropped out of the Top 20 following his quarter-final exit in Madrid last month, but will rise to No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings if he can join Djokovic and Jakub Mensik and become the third man to beat Sinner this season.

With Sinner also aiming to join Rafael Nadal in 2010 as just the second player to win the three clay-court Masters 1000 events in the same season, the stage is set for a gripping finale in Rome, scheduled not before 5 p.m. CEST/11 a.m. ET on Sunday.

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