Daniil Medvedev moved into solely the second clay court docket ultimate of his profession on Saturday as he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-5 on the Italian Open. The former world primary will play for the title on Sunday on the Foro Italico in opposition to Holger Rune, who got here from a set and a break right down to put out Casper Ruud 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2. Medvedev and Tsitsipas suffered by a number of rain interruptions totalling 4 and a half hours because the atrocious climate of this week continues.

Medvedev superior to his third Masters ultimate of the season after Indian Wells and Miami.

The pair have been pressured off at 4-4 within the first set and got here again to play one recreation earlier than being despatched to the locker room once more.

They lastly resumed simply after 9:30 p.m.

Upon sealing victory, Medvedev carried out a small victory dance on the clay, which he hopes would possibly go viral.

“I’m happy to be in my first clay Masters final and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he stated.

“I enjoyed playing very much. It would have been easy to get angry about the conditions and the delays, but we (his team) just laughed about it.”

He added: “I must have warmed up six or seven times, I knew we would play when we could.”

Medvedev received 9 of the final 10 video games to assert the opening set and went up a break within the second earlier than crowd favorite Tsitsipas broke again for 3-3.

The impasse continued till Medvedev obtained the break for 6-5 precisely six hours after the primary ball of the match was struck. The third seed closed out victory on the primary of two match factors.

The appalling circumstances in Rome positioned a query mark over the night’s scheduled ladies’s ultimate between Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Anhelina Kalinina.

Medvedev had by no means received a match in Rome previous to this version however will discover himself competing for a fifth trophy of 2023 when he takes on Rune for the second time in as many months after shedding to the teen in Monte Carlo.

Ruud’s defeat was his first in 5 conferences with Rune, with all of their matches being performed on clay.

Rune, who knocked out prime seed Novak Djokovic within the quarter-finals, stated that he relaxed when he thought all was misplaced on court docket.

“When I was down, I told myself I had nothing to lose, he would probably win,” the world quantity seven stated.

“I told myself to play freely, play aggressive as it would likely be my last set. That was the key to the comeback – I’m super-happy.”

Rune stated his recreation has lifted at one of the best moments this week in Rome.

“I’ve played some of my best tennis in the last two matches. It’s so difficult to play the top guys, I had to find my best tennis.

“I solely discovered it on the finish, that is how I used to be in a position to flip it round.”

– Medical timeout –

Ruud needed 69 minutes to win a grinding first set with the Norwegian dominating the tiebreaker to take the early lead after failing to convert on three break points in the sixth game.

Rune, occasionally something of a loose cannon with his outbursts of temper, began to unravel slightly in the second set with Ruud holding his nerve as the deadlock continued.

The youngster lost serve to trail 2-3 and suddenly called for the physio, who treated his right shoulder for the three-minute medical timeout.

But that pause may have turned the match around, with Rune suddenly coming to life as he levelled at a set apiece and ran away with the third to advance in a light drizzle.

Rune closed out victory in just under two and three-quarter hours when he broke Ruud for a fourth time.

The Dane will be playing his eighth ATP final (4-3) and his third this season.

He won in Paris Bercy last November and was runner-up to Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo in April.

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