Jannik Sinner defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Italian Open in Rome, becoming the first Italian man to claim the title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. The victory was Sinner's third ATP Masters 1000 title and his first on clay.
Sinner, the top seed, recovered from an early break down in the first set to overpower Ruud, who was seeded 23rd. The match lasted 1 hour and 42 minutes, with Sinner winning 78% of his first-serve points and breaking Ruud's serve twice.
"It's an incredible feeling to win here in Rome," Sinner said in his on-court interview. "The crowd was amazing, and I'm proud to make history for Italy." The 24-year-old has now won 12 consecutive matches on clay, including his title at the Madrid Open earlier this month.
Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, was aiming for his first Masters 1000 title but was unable to match Sinner's consistency from the baseline. The Norwegian had won his previous two matches against Sinner on clay but was outplayed in the final.
Sinner's win extends his lead at the top of the ATP rankings and makes him a strong favorite for the French Open, which begins on May 25. He is the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since Panatta, who also won the French Open that same year.
