The two men’s semifinals will be played one after the other, followed by the women’s title in both singles and doubles. Weather permitting…
Weather permitting, on Saturday afternoon the names of the finalists of the men’s draw of the Internazionali d’Italia will be known. It starts at 13 with Ruud-Rune, the northern derby; to follow, in the field Medvedev and Tsitsipas, in what is never a trivial challenge. Forecasts are uncertain, as indeed has happened every day since the beginning of the tournament: if everything goes smoothly, at 7 pm Kalinina and Rybakina will take the field for the women’s final before the doubles final between Gauff-Pegula and Hunter-Mertens.
THE NORTHERN DERBY
—
Afternoon for men and evening for women, therefore. The semifinals among the men are both to watch. Rune and Ruud meet again after last year’s clash at Roland Garros and restart from a score entirely in favor of Casper, who has won four times out of four against the terrible Dane: the Norwegian will be able to stem the fury of the “new” Holger , hungry more than ever after the victory against Djokovic? Ruud could reach the second final of 2023 – after that of Estoril – and the first of his career at the 1000 level on clay, while Rune wants to take back what he left in Monte Carlo with the defeat against Andrey Rublev close to the title.
THE TWO ENEMIES
—
Speaking of tension: the relationship between Tsitsipas and Medvedev is in fact non-existent. They launched digs and didn’t even greet each other, as happened in Rome on the new bridge that leads to the central station. They face each other for the first time in 2023, the balance is seven victories for Daniil and four for Stefanos, who however has had the better of three of the last four matches including the most recent one, at the Finals in Turin. The rivalry therefore remains in Italy: Tsitsipas is a specialist on clay and Medvedev is gaining confidence on a surface that was uncomfortable for him until recently. The Russian is in his second 1000 clay court semifinal (the first was in 2019 in Montecarlo against Lajovic, in the tournament then won by Fognini), the Greek lost the two finals played this year: Rome could be the right opportunity to unlock . Two matches to follow, the third will award the women’s title and the fourth the women’s doubles title. Saturday can be a day of reckoning: the central makes itself beautiful. If heaven permits.
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED