Italian Open: World No 1 Jannik Sinner survives Tommy Paul scare to book meeting with Carlos Alcaraz in final
Carlos Alcaraz beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 7-6 to book his place in the Italian Open final; he will face Italy's Jannik Sinner beat USA's Tommy Paul 1-6 6-0 6-3; watch the Italian Open men's final live on Sky Sports on Sunday, May 18 from 3.30pm
Friday 16 May 2025 22:54, UK
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.
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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 went on to seal victory in one hour and 44 minutes.
"I just tried to stay there mentally," Sinner said on Sky Sports.
"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."
Tale of the Tape
Alcaraz defeats Musetti on home turf
World No 3 Alcaraz, who saw off Britain's Jack Draper in the last eight, overcame a partisan home crowd to battle past Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 7-6.
Italian Musetti, though, regrouped for the start of the second set - lifted by the vocal support on Campo Centrale as Alcaraz started to struggle in the windy conditions.
Musetti, who had been beaten by the Spaniard over three sets in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters last month, soon converted two breaks as he moved into a 3-1 lead.
Alcaraz, though, dug in to claw back to 4-4 with a break of his own before holding to leave Musetti serving to stay in the match.
The Italian, who knocked out Daniil Medvedev and then defending champion Alexander Zverev on his way to the semi-finals, was able to hang on to force a tie-break.
However, Alcaraz's range and power proved decisive as he took a second match point with another fine cross-court forehand.
"It was a tough match today, he has come through qualifying playing good tennis, so I knew it would be tough," Alcaraz said.
"I was trying to get my energy up a little bit from the start. I was a bit flat today, but I thought I did a really good job of competing hard throughout the match, and he definitely came out in the second.
"I am human, it's tough being mentally and physically on for the last three weeks. It's not easy, especially if you go deep.
"It's really tough to stay there mentally every point, and I got a bit frustrated, but I managed to come through and I'm proud of it.
"I need to make sure my standards don't drop, keep my body injury-free, and just try and do the right things."
Alcaraz will face either Italy's Jannik Sinner, making his return from a three-month doping ban, or American Tommy Paul in Sunday's final.
Tale of the Tape
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