Sinner & Alcaraz set for huge Italian Open final

Jannik Sinner, the reigning world no. 1, fought back to defeat American Tommy Paul to set up a blockbuster Italian Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

After getting off to a bad start in his first tournament since receiving a three-month doping ban, Sinner triumphed over the 11th seed with a score of 1-6, 6-0, 6-3.

The 23-year-old extended his unbeaten streak to 26 matches in front of a packed and divided center court in Rome, making it the first Italian men’s singles champion since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Paul took a 5-0 lead in a topsy-turvy match, where Sinner made 13 unforced errors and only two victories in the first set.

The American was unable to recover as the match flipped when the home favorite steamrolled past Paul to win nine games in a row.

Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, appears fit for the French Open, which will be held later this month.

In just over two hours, the reigning Roland Garross champion won in straight sets to reach the fourth final of the season.

For Musetti, it was their fifth straight defeat, including a defeat when they met on clay in last month’s Monte Carlo final.

Musetti, 23, slammed his racquet into the clay after making 29 unforced errors in the first set and collecting three break breaks in his serve.

At the start of the second set, the players exchanged breaks, and Musetti went 4-3 up with some spectacular shots, but in game eight Alcaraz broke back, causing his furious opponent to smash a ball into the stands.