Jannik Sinner came from a set down to claim victory over Tommy Paul and set up a meeting with Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Italian Open.
Sinner returned to action this week for the first time since the Australian Open following a three-month doping ban and he has eased straight back into his groove.
The world number one needed to do it the hard way against Paul after struggling in the first set, but rallied to clinch a 1-6 6-0 6-3 triumph for his 26th successive match win.
Sinner will now face Alcaraz for the first time this season. The last time the pair met was in the final of the China Open last October where the Spaniard fought back from a set down to lift the title.
Alcaraz won all three clashes between the two last season, which was half of Sinner’s overall losses for the campaign.
Sinner lost just one game in his crushing 6-0 6-1 win over Casper Ruud in the previous round in Rome but started surprisingly slow in his semi-final and American Paul was on hand to punish him.
It was the first set Sinner had dropped in the tournament but the 23-year-old Italian responded in style with a crushing 6-0 success in the second to force a decider.
With the home fans on his side, Sinner raced into a 3-0 lead before being pegged back to 3-2. However, Sinner was relentless and he would go on to seal victory in one hour and 44 minutes.
Sinner said on Sky Sports: “I just tried to stay there mentally. Today the conditions were completely different. It’s colder, the ball is heavier, I struggled with that a bit and he broke me straight away which was a punch in my face but I tried to stay there mentally.
“Winning this one game for me was important, tennis can change quickly.
“Today I showed every moment is crucial and I’m very happy about that, and to be here in the final. If I want to win on Sunday, I have to play my best tennis. Incredible to be here in the final.”
Alcaraz booked his spot in Sunday’s final after defeating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets earlier on Friday.
The world number three comfortably took the first set in just under an hour and battled back from 3-1 down in the next set to put his name in the Rome showpiece.
PA
