Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ semi-final clash at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia has been interrupted by rain in Rome with Tsitsipas leading 5-4 on serve in the first set.

A rapid start by the third-seeded Medvedev saw him notch a break in the opening game of Saturday’s blockbuster last-four encounter, but Tsitsipas produced a huge forehand winner to convert his first break point of the match in the eighth game.

Just moments later the persistent drizzle in the Italian capital grew heavier, prompting Chair Umpire Mohamed Lahyani to suspend play at the ATP Masters 1000 event. A break in the rain enabled the players to return to court around two hours later, but only one game was possible before the inclement intervened again.

Medvedev had not won a match in three attempts in Rome prior to this year, but the 27-year-old lost just one set in four matches en route to the semi-finals. Tsitsipas is appearing in his third Rome semi-final and is chasing consecutive championship match appearances at the Foro Italico. Whoever prevails will take on Holger Rune in Sunday’s final. The seventh seed earlier defeated Casper Ruud 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2.

Holger Rune moved to within one win of capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title on Saturday, when he earned a comeback victory against Casper Ruud at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

In a tight clash, the Dane rallied from a break down in the second set to overcame the fourth seed Ruud 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 and earn his 27th win of the season.

Rune, who is making his debut in Rome, defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. He backed up that standout win with a clean hitting performance against Ruud to improve to 1-4 in their ATP Head2Head series. The 20-year-old struck his groundstrokes with power and showed deft touch at times, outfoxing Ruud in a series of cat-and-mouse exchanges to advance after two hours and 41 minutes.

“I had nothing to lose in the second [set], so I just told myself to play freely and enjoy it as I thought it would be my last set here,” Rune said. “I told myself to play aggressively and enjoy it and I did it and that was the key to comeback.”

The Dane has enjoyed a strong clay-court season. He reached the final in Monte-Carlo before he clinched the crown in Munich, and he holds a 13-2 record on the surface for the year. With his victory against Ruud, Rune has climbed one spot to No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. If he wins the title on Sunday, he could jump to No. 5.

“I really played some of my best tennis in the past two matches against Novak and then Casper,” Rune said. “Two difficult players to play, so I had to find my best tennis and I actually didn’t find it today, only at the end and that is why I turned it around.”

Rune lifted his maiden Masters 1000 title in Paris last year and will play for his fifth tour-level trophy and second at Masters 1000 level on Sunday against Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 crown, Ruud was competing in the semi-finals in Rome for the third consecutive time. The 24-year-old arrived in the Italian capital having had a modest season by his standards. The fourth seed lifted the trophy in Estoril but struggled at Masters 1000 events, failing to advance beyond the third round in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo or Madrid.

He looked back to his best on the clay in Rome, where he earned victories against Arthur Rinderknech, Alexander Bublik, Laslo Djere and Francisco Cerundolo.

In an entertaining match, both players came out firing as they pulled each other around with their pace and variety. With nothing to separate them, a tie-break was left to decide the first set, with Ruud improving his depth on return to pull away and lead.

From 4-2 ahead in the second set, the Norwegian looked set to reach his second Masters 1000 final. However, Rune refused to falter. He started to go after the ball more, pouncing on short balls from Ruud to reel off four straight games and level. The Dane was then strong on serve in the decider. He did not face a break point in the third set to advance.

Did You Know?
Saturday’s semi-final between the Norwegian Ruud and Dane Rune was the first all-Scandinavian Masters 1000 semi-final since Jonas Bjorkman defeated Thomas Enqvist in Paris in 1997.

The European clay-court season continues on the ATP Tour, with ATP 250 events taking place this week at the Gonet Geneva Open and Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon.

Two-time winner Casper Ruud leads the field on the clay in Geneva, while 2022 champion Cameron Norrie competes in Lyon. ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each event.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GENEVA

Two-Time Defending Champ Ruud: Ruud will aim to become the first player in tournament history to capture three consecutive titles when he takes to court in Geneva. The Norwegian clinched his 10th tour-level trophy, his ninth on clay, earlier this season in Estoril before he advanced to the semi-finals in Rome, where he is still alive.

Can Fritz Regain Form? Taylor Fritz clinched his fifth tour-level trophy earlier this season in Delray Beach before he advanced to the semi-finals at clay-court events in Monte-Carlo and Munich. He arrives in Geneva off the back of disappointing defeats in Madrid and Rome, though, where he fell in the fourth round and second round, respectively. Can he bounce back with a title run in Switzerland?

Dimitrov & Zverev Receive Wild Cards: Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev have both compete as wild cards. The 26-year-old Zverev lifted the trophy in his only previous appearance in Geneva in 2019, while Dimitrov reached the quarter-finals in 2021. Zverev opens against Christopher Eubanks or Benoit Paire, while Dimitrov plays Roberto Carballes Baena or a qualifier.

#NextGenATP American Shelton In Action: Ben Shelton has enjoyed some positive results in his first season competing on the clay on the ATP Tour. The 20-year-old earned tour-level wins in Estoril and Barcelona and will look to build on that in Geneva on his tournament debut. The American is currently fourth in the Next Gen ATP Race and will want a deep run to climb further.

Wu Chasing Clay Success: Wu Yibing broke new ground earlier this season when he clinched his first tour-level title on hard courts in Dallas. The Chinese star is now looking to transfer that form onto clay, having earned just one win on the surface so far this year. The 23-year-old, who is 1-3 on clay in 2023, is making his debut in Geneva.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN LYON

Reigning Titlist Norrie: Norrie holds an impressive record in Lyon, having reached the final in 2021 before lifting the trophy in 2022. The Briton, who advanced to the fourth round in Rome last week, is currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and will be hoping for a strong week to close the gap on eighth-placed Fritz.

Felix Competes, Paul Continues Turin Pursuit: Felix Auger-Aliassime will make his third appearance in Lyon after receiving a wild card. The Canadian, who reached the final at the ATP 250 in 2019, is seeking his first clay-court win of the season, after suffering opening-round defeats in Madrid and Rome.

Tommy Paul is 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin on 1,385 points. The American is currently 440 points behind Fritz in eighth and will be determined to regain his early season form in Lyon, where he is making his second appearance. The 26-year-old reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January, with his best result on clay a run to the final at an ATP Challenger Tour event in France.

2022 Next Gen ATP Finals Stars In Action: Brandon Nakashima and Jack Draper both lit up Milan last year, with the former winning the title. Both are in action in Lyon, where they will be hoping to kickstart their seasons. The American Nakashima is 3-6 on the season, while Draper has not competed since Monte-Carlo due to injury.

Home Favourites: Richard Gasquet, Gregoire Barrere and Corentin Moutet will lead French hopes at the ATP 250. Gasquet has tasted success in Lyon before, winning the title in 2006, while Barrere arrives off the back of a run to the third round in Rome. Moutet is making his fourth appearance at the clay-court tournament, having advanced to the second round in 2019.

Ram/Salisbury Lead Doubles Field: Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury will look to win their first title of the season when they team in Lyon. The American-British tandem, who have won nine trophies together, will face competition from Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni and Nicolas Mahut/Matwe Middelkoop.

The second Grand Slam of the season will see the world’s best players compete at Roland Garros, with Carlos Alcaraz, 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and last year’s finalist Casper Ruud among those in action.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament in the French capital:

When is Roland Garros?

Roland Garros 2023 will be held from 28 May-11 June. The clay-court Grand Slam tournament, established in 1891, will take place at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. The tournament director is Amelie Mauresmo.

Who is playing at Roland Garros 2023?

Roland Garros will feature stars like Djokovic, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.

When is the draw for Roland Garros?

The Roland Garros singles draw will be made on Thursday 25 May at 2 p.m. local time
The Roland Garros doubles draw will be made on Sunday 28 May at 12 p.m. local time

What is the schedule for Roland Garros?

* Qualifying: Monday, 22 May–Friday, 26 May. Monday-Wednesday at 10 a.m., Thursday & Friday at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Sunday, 28 May–Sunday, 11 June. Matches on Court Philippe-Chatrier will start at 11 a.m. or 12 p.m. depending on the day. 11 a.m. start on all other courts. Night session (one singles match): Sunday 28 May not before 7 p.m. Monday 29 May–Wednesday 7 June not before 8:30 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Saturday, 10 June, starting following the women’s singles final.
* Singles Final: Sunday 11 June, not before 3 p.m.
*View On Official Website

 What is the prize money and points for Roland Garros?

The prize money for Roland Garros is €49,600,000.

SINGLES
Winner: €2,300,000 / 2,000 points
Finalist: €1,150,000 / 1,200 points
Semi-finalist: €630,000 / 720 points
Quarter-finalist: €400,000 / 360 points
Round of 16: €240,000 / 180 points
Round of 32: €142,000 / 90 points
Round of 64: €97,000 / 45 points
Round of 128: €69,000 / 10 points

DOUBLES (€ per team)
Winner: €590,000 / 2,000 points
Finalist: €295,000/ 1,200 points
Semi-finalist: €148,000 / 720 points
Quarter-finalist: €80,000 / 360 points
Round of 16: €43,000 / 180 points
Round of 32: €27,000 / 90 points
Round of 64: €17,000 / 0 points

How can I watch Roland Garros?

TV Schedule

How can I follow Roland Garros?

Hashtag: #RolandGarros
Facebook: ROLAND-GARROS
Twitter: @rolandgarros
Instagram: rolandgarros

Who won the last edition of Roland Garros in 2021?

Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Roland Garros singles title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory against Casper Ruud in the championship match (Read & Watch). Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer saved three championship points to lift the doubles trophy in Paris, claiming a 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3 triumph against Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the final (Read More).

Who holds the Roland Garros record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Rafael Nadal (14)
Most Titles, Doubles: Roy Emerson (6)
Oldest Champion: Andres Gimeno, 34, in 1972
Youngest Champion: Michael Chang, 17, in 1989
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Bjorn Borg in 1980, 1981, Ivan Lendl in 1986, 1987, Jim Courier in 1992, Gustavo Kuerten in 2001, Rafael Nadal in 2011, 2014, 2018, Novak Djokovic in 2016, 2021
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 66 Gustavo Kuerten in 1997
Last Home Champion: Yannick Noah in 1983
Most Match Wins: Rafael Nadal (112)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Jenson Brooksby underwent arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Thursday to repair his tendon subsheath. It is the same surgery he underwent on his left wrist in March.

The American has not competed since the Australian Open and is unsure when he will return to the court. However, he is excited to come back better.

“I underwent a successful arthroscopic right wrist surgery this morning to fix my dislocated tendon,” Brooksby wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to Dr. Shin and his team at Kerlan Jobe for their care and guidance. My left wrist has been responding well and rehab is going 💪”

 

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Brooksby’s right wrist tendon was between 70 and 80 per cent dislocated compared to his left wrist tendon, which was 100 per cent dislocated. The 22-year-old tried to avoid the second surgery by resting and rehabbing, but the discomfort was too much to overcome. Dr. Steven Shin performed both surgeries.

“Surgery on the right wrist was the best route for me to get back on court 100%,” Brooksby wrote. “I have been playing with heavily taped wrists dating back to the 2nd half of 2022 so this wasn’t something new. The last few months have been tough and I know the next few will present its challenges.”

Brooksby showed good form despite the injuries, upsetting Casper Ruud at this year’s Australian Open. The three-time ATP Tour titlist is keen to tackle his recovery and improve his game.

”I am excited to return to training and work on improving areas of my game, including my serve😉,” Brooksby wrote. “I don’t have a fixed date for return to competition — we will do everything to put me in the best position to succeed.”

Ugo Humbert and Tomas Martin Etcheverry will contest for the ATP Challenger Tour 175 crown in Bordeaux, France after they each advanced in straight sets Friday.

The 24-year-old Humbert continued his form by winning an all-French semi-final against Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Primrose. Humbert hammered any ball that his countryman left in the middle of the court, while also showing deft feel on numerous drop shots.

Despite getting broken in the opening game of the second set, the World No. 50 Humbert quickly regrouped to oust Gasquet in one hour, 16 minutes. Humbert, who beat another tour veteran, Stan Wawrinka, in the quarter-finals, delivered a strong-serving performance Friday, winning 75 per cent of first-serve points, compared to Gasquet’s 40 per cent.

When Humbert has competed at Challenger Tour events this year, he’s been a dominant force, tallying a 13-2 Challenger-match record. Earlier this month, the Metz native triumphed at the Cagliari Challenger, where he fended off two match points in his quarter-final against Taro Daniel to stay alive.

Back-to-back 175 finals!@HumbertUgo knocks out fellow Frenchman Gasquet 6-0, 6-2 to reach the Saturday title match.#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/jhkfAMWWBp

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 19, 2023

Humbert reached a career-high No. 25 in 2021 and will next aim for a second consecutive Challenger 175 crown Saturday, when he clashes against Etcheverry.

Should the Frenchman win a ninth Challenger title, he would return to the Top 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings for the first time since 31 January, 2022.

The heavy-hitting Etcheverry earned the highest-ranked win of his career by upsetting top seed and World No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old Etcheverry took a deep return stance that Struff often countered with a serve-and-volley. But the Argentine stayed steady from the baseline, displaying lethal inside-out forehands en route to a one-hour, 14-minute victory. Etcheverry dropped just one point on serve in the opening set and didn’t face a break point all match.

A battle for the Bordeaux title 🏆 #ATPChallenger | @BNPPprimrose pic.twitter.com/Ub2zoaO4jN

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 19, 2023

Seeded seventh, Etcheverry has played his best tennis this season. He was a finalist at the ATP 250 events in Santiago and Houston and last month reached a career-high No. 59, which he is guaranteed to surpass this upcoming Monday. A three-time Challenger champion, the La Plata native will next attempt for his biggest career title against Humbert, who defeated him in five sets at Wimbledon last year.

In Bordeaux doubles action, top seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara will contest third seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in Saturday’s championship match.

Watch Bordeaux Challenger Final: Ugo Humbert vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry (N.B. 3:15 p.m. local time)

Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski reached their first ATP Masters 1000 final as a team on Friday when they moved past Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 7-5 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

The Monegasque-Polish tandem were dominant on serve throughout the 84-minute clash on centre court, winning 93 per cent (27/29) of their first-serve points and saving all three break points they faced to advance.

Nys and Zielinski are yet to drop a set in Rome, having also defeated third seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek. They will play for their first title of the season against Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski or Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp.

Nys and Zielinski are currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and could rise to top spot if they win the title. Earlier this season, they advanced to the Australian Open final, losing against Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler.

Is this the week Casper Ruud or Holger Rune win their first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title?

The Norwegian and Dane will meet at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Saturday in the first Masters 1000 all-Scandinavian semi-final since Jonas Bjorkman defeated Thomas Enqvist in Paris in 1997.

Ruud arrived in Rome having had a modest season by his standards. The fourth seed lifted his 10th trophy in Estoril but struggled at Masters 1000 events, failing to advance beyond the third round in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo or Madrid. The 24-year-old has looked back to his best on the clay in Rome, though, where he has earned victories against Arthur Rinderknech, Alexander Bublik, Laslo Djere and Francisco Cerundolo to reach the semi-finals in the Italian capital for the third consecutive time.

“Tennis is a strange sport, as we all can tell. And I think I’ve really lived through it the last 12 months or so, some of my best moments of my career and some tougher losses in the past couple of months,” Ruud said following his quarter-final win. “But here we are back in Rome and I feel great. I know that I’ve had success in Italy before in my career, here [I made] two times [the] semi-finals, Turin last year was amazing for me… It’s something in the food maybe, I don’t know.”

Standing in his way from a second ATP Masters 1000 final (Miami 2022) is Rune, who stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to advance to the last four on his debut in Rome. The 20-year-old has reached at least the semi-finals in three of his past six Masters 1000 events, highlighted by his title run in Paris last year.

A regular on the big stage now, the seventh seed has had a strong clay-court season again. Rune enjoyed a run to the final in Monte-Carlo, before he clinched his fourth tour-level title in Munich. Holding a 12-2 record on the surface this season, he will look to take confidence from his victory against Djokovic as he aims to earn his first win against Ruud.

“I stay humble of course. I have a lot to achieve,” said the Dane, who will rise to No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings if he reaches the final. “I think you should always be humble. I think I am, I hope so and I hope people see me this way. I’m a huge fighter on the court and I leave everything when I play my matches.”

Rune demonstrated his explosive game against Djokovic, hammering his groundstrokes with precision and power to outlast the Serbian. The 20-year-old, who has held serve in 42 of his 47 games in Rome, will look to impose his all-court game against Ruud, an opponent Rune has struggled against in the past.

The fourth seed leads the seventh seed 4-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, with all four matches coming on clay. Despite his impressive record, Ruud is aware of the threat Rune holds.

“He’s improved so much. I played him a couple times in 2021 and a couple of times in 2022, and his improvement is just really, really good,” Ruud said. “You can see that his confidence is good on court and [he] really deserves [to be] where he is at the moment.

“He has big goals for his career and is going through one goal by another so I’m just going to try to think about what I’ve done well against him before — I have a winning record against him. Tennis is always open, it’s never over until it’s over, and I’m just going to try to fight.”

With both chasing their second titles of the season, fireworks will be expected when they walk onto center court on Saturday.

View Ruud & Rune’s ATP Head2Head rivalry.