Sinner wins Italian Open and extends Masters 1000 streak

LONDON: Jannik Sinner captured the Italian Open title on Sunday, beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to stretch his record run to six straight Masters 1000 tournament triumphs and complete the so-called Golden Masters by winning all of the ATP's top-tier events.

The world number one also became the first Italian man to win in Rome since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago. Novak Djokovic had been the only player to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments before Sinner achieved the feat on Sunday.

Sinner now heads to Roland Garros, which begins next weekend, carrying a 29-match winning streak. He will be aiming to put behind him last year's final in Paris, when he let three championship points slip before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. His winning run in Masters 1000 events has now reached 34 matches, another mark highlighted in the report during a season in which he has led the men's tour.

With Alcaraz out of action, Sinner has a chance to add the French Open to his list of Grand Slam titles and claim his first crown on the Paris clay.

Speaking to reporters after his latest title, Sinner said his focus was already shifting to the next major assignment.

"I need to keep myself in form because there's my most important tournament of the year coming up," Sinner told reporters.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on myself because the pressure comes anyway. The most important thing to do right now is take a break and do the right things.

"I don't even want to think too much about tennis right now."

Ruud starts well but Sinner takes control

Ruud came into the final with the most match wins and titles on clay of any player on the men's tour since the start of 2020, with his most recent title on the surface coming at the Madrid Masters last year. Even so, he was unable to register a first victory over Sinner.

The Norwegian had failed to win a set in any of his previous four meetings with Sinner, but he made a stronger start this time by taking the opening two games. Sinner responded immediately with a break back and moved ahead after taking the first set. World number 25 Ruud stood up well in the opener against a player he had previously described as one who 'cannot lose'.

Sinner then broke at the start of the second set and stayed in command from there, sealing the championship in front of a packed centre court crowd, while Ruud still drew credit for his display.

Ruud also joked about the contrast between tennis and football, with Norway having qualified for this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while Italy failed in March to qualify for a third straight edition of the tournament.

"I know that in football it's a different story," joked Ruud, whose country will play in a World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Ruud later compared the challenge of facing Sinner to taking on the sport's dominant greats in their peak years.

"I never played the big three in their prime.. But I'm sure Roger, Novak, Rafa, 25, 26 years old was also the same feeling for the other players," said Ruud of Sinner to reporters afterwards.

"I don't see him getting any worse, unfortunately. You just have to think that you have to be better and better because he's also going to get better and better."

Italian success in doubles too

It was also a successful day for Italian tennis in the men's doubles, where Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori won the title. They defeated second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (3/7), 10-3.

The result capped a standout Sunday for the home nation, with Sinner's singles triumph and the doubles victory adding to the celebrations in Rome.