Daniil Medvedev wins Rome Masters men’s singles title and Rybakina wins women’s singles title

Author: Ayaktan Roy

In the men’s singles championship match at the Rome Masters, Daniil Medvedev emerged victorious with a 7-5, 7-5 win over 20-year-old Holger Rune. It marked Medvedev’s first clay-court trophy and his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown. On the other hand, Elena Rybakina secured the women’s singles title by defeating Anhelina Kalinina, who unfortunately had to withdraw due to a left thigh injury, 6-4, 1-0. This victory marked Rybakina’s second title of the year.

After a delay of an hour and 40 minutes due to rain, the final began with the 27-year-old displaying consistent and precise strokes. Positioned well behind the baseline, he skillfully dealt with the challenges posed by Rome’s red clay. Despite facing a double-break deficit in the second set against seventh seed Rune, he showed resilience and had some impressive comebacks.

The final was a captivating spectacle as Medvedev showed patience, engaging in prolonged rallies to frustrate his opponent, Rune. Showing exceptional prowess, the 27-year-old won an impressive 83% (20/24) of his first-serve points in the first set and broke Rune’s serve in the 12th game to secure the set. In response, Rune managed to break Medvedev’s serve at the start of the second set and maintained an active dialogue with his coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, during the exchanges. However, Rune’s performance waned after reaching a 5-3 lead.

Medvedev solidified his position on the baseline, demonstrating unwavering precision and intensifying the pressure on Rune. Despite Rune’s attempt to serve to win the set, which would have resulted in a third set, the Dane faltered. In the 12th game of the second set, Rune struggled to get to grips with Medvedev, which eventually led to the 27-year-old securing another break.

Meanwhile, in the women’s event, after facing considerable delays due to rain throughout the day, the match began with a protracted opening game in which Rybakina lost her serve, allowing Kalinina to establish a 3-1 lead in the first set. However, Rybakina showed resilience and managed to level the score at 3-3, securing the comeback by breaking Kalinina’s serve at 5-4 with the help of her formidable service returns.

In the second set, Kalinina faced adversity right from the start. After playing just one point in the second set, she expressed her inability to put weight on her left leg. The physiotherapist arrived promptly on the court, but Kalinina’s injury forced her to withdraw from the match at that point.

In another thrilling match, Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski emerged victorious and won their first ATP Masters 1000 title as a men’s doubles team. They secured their triumph on Sunday by beating Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-1.

Finally, in the women’s doubles event, the number 4 pair, Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, celebrated their first team title. They achieved this feat by defeating the top-ranked duo of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in a thrilling final, winning 6-4 and 6-4.