Rome, May 16 (H.S.): Italy’s Jannik Sinner advanced to the semifinals of the Italian Open by defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff secured her spot in the women’s finals after a marathon match lasting three sets against China’s Zheng Qinwen.

The American Gauff will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the title match on Saturday. She clinched victory in a match that lasted three and a half hours, winning 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

Since returning from a three-month doping ban, Ruud posed the biggest challenge for Sinner in Rome, as the Norwegian player had been in great form on clay after his victory in Madrid earlier this month. In his previous matches, Sinner appeared to be still standing on his feet after accepting suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for Clostebol in March last year. However, the 23-year-old player defeated the sixth-seeded Ruud in less than an hour with an impressive display of tennis.

On the other hand, former US Open champion Coco Gauff registered her third consecutive victory against Olympic gold medalist Zheng. In this match, Gauff committed 15 double faults on her serve, while both players combined for a total of 156 unforced errors.

The 21-year-old Gauff is trying to win her first title of the season. Previously, she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the finals of the Madrid Open. Now, in her second final, she will face Italy’s Paolini, where she can expect a much more enthusiastic and pressure-filled atmosphere due to the home crowd — a stark contrast to the sparse attendance that watched the previous match until after midnight.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar