Jannik Sinner’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in the Italian Open men’s singles final was historic in more ways than one.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The world number one became the first Italian man in 50 years to win the title after Adriano Panatta – who was alongside Italian President Sergio Mattarella to present the 24-year-old with the trophy at Rome’s Foro Italico – in 1976.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the process, Sinner also became the first man to win six consecutive Masters 1000 titles, having already become the first clinch five in a row when he triumphed in Madrid at the start of the month.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sinner has now won a record-extending 34 consecutive Masters 1000 matches, having surpassed Djokovic’s previous mark of 31 with his quarter-final win against Andrey Rublev.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Rome triumph also enabled the four-time Grand Slam winner to complete the ‘Golden Masters’ by winning all of the ATP’s top-ranked events.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Only Novak Djokovic had previously won all nine Masters 1000 events before Sunday.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But while Sinner’s heroics are grabbing the headlines, perhaps what is even more encouraging for Italian tennis fans is that he is only part of a thriving movement.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As Ruud pointed out as he complimented the Italian tennis federation at the prize ceremony on Sunday, Italy now has lots of top-level contenders, four of whom are in the men’s singles top 20.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to Sinner, the Azzurri have Lorenzo Musetti, Flavio Cobolli and Luciano Darderi, who lost to Rudd in the semi-finals in Rome, at 11th, 12th and 16th respectively.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They also have Lorenzo Sonego (69th), Mattia Bellucci (72nd) and Matteo Arnadli (96th) in the top 100.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And Italian tennis rude health is not only seen in the men’s singles.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori won the men’s doubles title in Rome this year, enabling Italy’s men to equal the double achieved by their women to last year, when Jasmine Paolini won both the singles and the doubles with her partner Sara Errani.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Furthermore, Italy has won the last three Davis Cups, triumphing last year without Sinner’s contribution, and the last two Billie Jean King Cups.<\/p>\n
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