Semi-Finals Day at the Foro Italico hit an abrupt pause on Friday afternoon as heavy rain swept across Rome, forcing players off the courts and suspending all play. The skies opened up at around 16:10 CET, bringing the first men’s semi-final to a sudden halt, and it did not look like a passing shower.

Casper Ruud and Luciano Darderi were the unfortunate victims of the downpour, with their match suspended mid-game. The Norwegian had built a 4-1 lead and was holding advantage-40 on Darderi’s serve, one point away from establishing a dominant 5-1 grip, when the rain made further play impossible. Groundstaff hurried out onto the Campo Centrale to hoist the familiar red tarpaulin across the court, and fans in the stands waited with their umbrellas in hand. 

Play will be resumed in about 45 to 60 minutes, but the wait may be longer if the weather is not suitable. The Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski vs Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic doubles quarterfinal contest is also caught in the disruption. 

More critically, the rain puts a cloud over the big event of the evening. Jannik Sinner’s semifinal against Daniil Medvedev was scheduled not to start before 7 pm local time, and with the rain delay, the second semifinal will definitely be pushed deeper into the night. Regarding the late-night sessions, Sinner made his feelings clear after his quarterfinal win over Andrey Ruble, saying: “When you go out on the court so late, it’s difficult to play good tennis.” 

The timing could not be more inconvenient. Sinner leads his head-to-head with Medvedev 9-7, and arrives at the semi-final riding a record 32-match winning streak at the Masters 1000 level. He, however, appeared to be physically drained following his quarter-final victory on Thursday, and has opened up about his need to recuperate. Due to a long rainy spell, this late start might not be the worst thing for him. 

Medvedev, meanwhile, returns from a hard-fought two-hour 22-minute victory over Martin Landaluce, which had its own rain interruption. The Russian will be feeling the fatigue too, but a delayed start at least gives both players additional time to rest their legs. 

For now, Rome waits. The tarps have been set up, the umbrellas are up, and the fans will have to wait just a bit longer to see the main event.

Ruud ends it quickly, followed by a Sinner-Medvedev show

Play resumed, and Casper Ruud didn’t have to wait long to get going. The Norwegian, who was in total command prior to the rain, resumed the game from where he had left off and dispatched Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1. The Italian, who was playing his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal, that too in front of his home crowd, couldn’t withstand Ruud’s unstoppable dominance on clay. Ruud, who is a 12-time ATP clay court tour titlist and two-time French Open finalist, showed his pedigree on every point. 

After the first semi-final was completed, it was all about Sinner versus Medvedev. The first set was handled according to the script. Sinner, even on tired legs, found his level and took it 6-2 with the kind of controlled precision that has defined his entire week in Rome. But Medvedev had other plans. The Russian, a five-set specialist who enjoys the grind, evened the score with a 7-5 victory in the second set, forcing a decider that the crowd in Rome had never imagined. 

The third set took on a different character entirely. Both players were swinging freely, the crowd was loud, and the match had the kind of edge that only a deciding set between two elite players can produce. It drew out something unexpected from Sinner, a player who rarely gives the stadium anything beyond a quiet fist pump. In the third game, with Medvedev serving and the pressure mounting, an eight-shot exchange ended with the Russian missing a backhand. Sinner took the game to go 2-1 up, then turned to the crowd and roared. It was the kind of raw, unguarded moment that Rome rarely gets from him; a signal that even the most composed player on tour was feeling the weight of the occasion.

At 4-2, the drizzle returned. Light at first, the umpire waved play on. Medvedev was on advantage, one point from holding a critical service game, when the rain began to intensify. Sinner walked to the chair and made his case: “It’s pouring.” The umpire initially pushed back: conditions were difficult, but the court was still playable. Sinner persisted, pointing to the lines, arguing that a slip was an accident waiting to happen. He did not have to argue for long. Within minutes, the rain answered the debate for everyone, and the evening session was called off, Sinner leading 4-2 in the third, one bad shower away from a final that now has to wait until Saturday afternoon.

The Italian Open’s official account confirmed the news plainly: “Play is currently suspended due to inclement weather. We are actively monitoring weather conditions and will keep you updated on any schedule change.” What followed was worse. A second update arrived shortly after: “Today’s evening session has been concluded due to inclement weather.”

The revised order of play on Centre Court for Saturday, May 16, confirms that the day will start with the Men’s doubles semifinal between home favorites Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli vs. Skupski and Harrison, not before 1 pm local time. Followed by the conclusion of the Men’s singles semi-final not before 3:00 pm, with the Coco Gauff vs Elina Svitolina women’s final to follow not before 5:00 p.m. The men’s final is scheduled for Sunday.

It looked like the Italian needed the suspension, as he was adamant about leaving the court when it started pouring. Medvedev was pushing him to all the limits, which no one has in recent times. Even in that last game, the former world No. 1 was at a crucial juncture, a momentum break there, and a rest for tired legs would be the perfect scenario for the four-time Grand Slam champion. He will return to the Centre Court tomorrow, reset, and hoping to close it out in front of a crowd that will be louder than anything he has faced all week. The 30-year-old has been in this position countless times across his career, and he will not be an easy man to put away. 

Rome wanted a classic. The rain has ensured that they get the full version!