Story perspectives

Rain Pauses Italian Open Semi; Sinner Leads, Ruud Reaches Final

5/16/2026

Summary

Sinner Leads

Rain halted the Italian Open semi-final on May 15 with Jannik Sinner leading Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 4-2, after Medvedev had won the second set 7-5, his first set off Sinner; play resumes May 16.
Casper Ruud advanced to his first Rome final by beating Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1.
The semi-final winner will meet Ruud in the final as Sinner pursues a sixth straight Masters 1000 title after victories in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.

Summary

Sinner Resumes Semis

The men’s doubles semi-final will resume Saturday at 1:00 p.m., with Bolelli-Vavassori first and Sinner-Medvedev not before 3:00 p.m.
Organisers moved the other semi-final to the Supertennis Arena to clear the Campo Centrale schedule.
Rain began at about 9:45 p.m. Friday, forcing officials to suspend play and halt all court activity.
When play resumes, officials will pick up from the 6-2, 5-7, 4-2 score while chair umpire Aurélie Tourte addresses Medvedev’s timeout complaint.

Summary

Sinner Frustrated

Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina’s final was moved up two hours to accommodate delayed men’s semifinals.
Fireworks after the Coppa Italia final produced smoke that disabled the line-calling system, causing a 20-minute stoppage.
Casper Ruud recorded his 140th clay-court match since early 2020, the most by any ATP player.
During practice, Jannik Sinner was coached by Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi and voiced frustration with delays.

History

Historical Context

After a 14-hour rain delay crippled the 2009 US Open, the USTA approved a $300 million retractable roof that opened in 2015 to prevent future stoppages. Rain interruptions remain common in tennis, prompting venues like Wimbledon and the Australian Open to install roofs. The 2024 Italian Open in Rome likewise saw rain suspend play for Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and the doubles draw.

1 of 4

Sinner Leads

Rain halted the Italian Open semi-final on May 15 with Jannik Sinner leading Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 4-2, after Medvedev had won the second set 7-5, his first set off Sinner; play resumes May 16.
Casper Ruud advanced to his first Rome final by beating Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1.
The semi-final winner will meet Ruud in the final as Sinner pursues a sixth straight Masters 1000 title after victories in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami.

1 / 4