The “dancer” Daniil Medveded and the rising Holger Rune define the Masters 1000 in Rome after a Saturday of rain, interruptions and a bad mood at midnight

With Rafael Nadal out of action until 2024 for physical reasons and Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz eliminated prematurely, a Masters 1000 on brick dust they will have a first-time champion in the final that they will hold this Sunday, from 11 from Argentina and with television from ESPN 2, Daniil Medveded y Holger Rune at the Foro Italico Roma. The Russian and the Dane surpassed the semifinals this Saturday in a day marked by overcast skies and interruptions due to rain.

In a match that had two breaks and a delay of four and a half hours due to rain, third-seeded Medveded won by 7-5 y 7-5 to greek Stefano Tsitsipas, fifth. Without the coordination that he showed to execute his powerful tennis, Medveded was encouraged to celebrate his triumph with a somewhat hilarious little dance. Many interpreted it as a “choreographic return” of the dancing steps that Tsitsipas had displayed when he beat him last year in another Masters 1000, the one in Cincinnati.

The “choreographies” of Medvedev and Tsitsipas

At the press conference, the Russian only attributed a festive connotation to his consecration: “It’s like being completely drunk in a nightclub. When you dance – and I have many friends like that – you feel like you’re the god of the floor. But then when you watch the video, you kind of realize that it wasn’t. I don’t know how I did it, but I was happy to reach my first Masters final on clay.”

The satisfaction of number 3 in the ranking is understandable, because he has had a very good week on a surface that is far from being among his favourites. Much more comfortable and powerful it feels on hard floors. His track record on brick dust is poor: has a single ending, that of the ATP 500 in Barcelona in 2019, when he fell to Dominic Thiem. And his record in Rome was discouraging: three defeats in the first rounds. Besides, In case of being consecrated this Sunday, he will reach second place in the world ranking –behind Alcaraz–, the same place he would occupy among the favorites at Roland Garros, which will begin on the 28th of this month.

To the 27 yearsMedvedev will come across one of the promises that, together with Alcaraz, are the generational replacement of the figures that have been reigning for decades. Rune7th seed, He came from beating Novak Djokovic and, against a very good slow-court tennis player, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th), recovered from an adverse first set to win by 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 y 6-2. your face to face against the top 5 of the ranking increased to seven victories contra a fall. “I play my best tennis when I face the best in the world. It’s crazy,” said an overjoyed Rune.

If he wins the title, the Dane will move up to fifth in the world rankings. He already has a Masters 1000 to his credit, Paris-Bercy, on a fast surface. In a tournament of the same category but on brick dust, he touched the coronation this year, when in Monte Carlo he lost the definition at the hands of the Russian Andrey Rublev. On orange soil he has two titles, both in Munich (ATP 250). And as a youth he was champion at Roland Garros.

The rain had put the women’s final in Rome on hold, which had an early outcome when Elena Rybakina, who earned for 6-4, 1-0 y 15-0he met the abandonment from the ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina due to a left thigh injury.

After being treated by the physiotherapist, Kalinina, who yesterday had not greeted the Russian Veronika Kudermetova in the final due to her nationality, withdrew in tears. Due to postponements, the game had started after 11 p.m. and was interrupted in the first minutes of Sunday. part of the public, jaded for so many interruptions and the long wait, silbó when Kalinina reported that she was in no condition to continue. “I’m really sorry I can’t play. I tried to give the best I have”, the Ukrainian apologized.

The disagreement at the award ceremony

Nor did the award ceremony help raise the closing image, with the disagreement that occurred when Rybakina came up to receive the trophy and nobody gave it to her. The Kazakh of Russian origin, born in Moscow, made a gesture and stepped back with an ironic smile, while the promoter reacted and took it from a platform to give it to her. Finally, the cup reached the hands of Rybakina, Wimbledon 2022 champion, who will rise to fourth place in the ranking and will arrive affirmed at Roland Garros, as one of the favourites.

THE NATION