Tennis star Jannik Sinner has reached the semi-finals at the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome since returning from a three-month doping lock. The world ranking of Italy prevailed in front of domestic fans in the Rome foro Italico in the quarterfinals against Norwegian Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6: 1.
“I felt very good on the pitch today,” said Sinner: “The result does not play the big role.” After only 64 minutes, the 23-year-old ended the one-sided duel with the first match ball.
In this impressive form, the three-time Grand Slam tournament winner is also clear in the semi-finals against the American Tommy Paul. The second semifinals are contested by the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated the German tennis star Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
For Becker “flawless” tennis
“An absolute demonstration by Sinner,” said ex-player Andrea Petkovic at “Sky”: “We have just experienced an absurd performance by Jannik Sinner.” The German tennis icon Boris Becker was also enthusiastic. Sinner delivered “flawless clay court tennis”, wrote Becker after the first sentence at the platform X.
When Ruud, who had triumphed at the Madrid at the beginning of May, won his first and only game in the second set to 1: 2, he lifted his arms and was given an encouraging applause by the fans.
Sinner gives his comeback in Rome after a three-month break, which he had taken over a correspondingly long lock after an agreement with the Welt-Anti-Doping agency Wada. At the South Tyrolean, traces of the Clostebol doping agent were discovered in March 2024.
He stated that the substance was unknowingly into his body over the hands of a mass. The agency ITIA responsible for doping procedures believed the tennis professional and waived a lock. In contrast, the Wada later advanced and called the CAS sports court. The negotiation was then canceled after the extrajudicial agreement.