Sinner moves through gears to reach Italian Open quarters

Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday's straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo which took the world No 1 into the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Italian Sinner bested 17th seed Cerundolo 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in a match which was delayed by a couple of hours due to a torrential downpour to set up a last-eight clash with either Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar.

Cerundolo knocked out Sinner in the last 16 the last time he played here in 2023, but that was before the 23-year-old had became the tournament-winning machine he is today.

Sinner is finding his feet in Rome, his first tournament since the end of a three-month suspension accepted in February from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) following two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.

His true target is the French Open which follows his home event and he showed some signs of rediscovering the form which has won him three Grand Slams and last year's ATP Finals.

Sinner had to battle through the first set against spirited Cerundolo but once he prevailed in the tie-break he built up an unassailable lead by winning four games in a row in the second.

The packed centre court stands hailed their hero after he took the win at the fourth time of asking and continue his bid for a first Rome title.

MUSETTI DEFIES MEDVEDEV, RAIN

The rain which delayed Sinner's match had a much bigger impact on his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the last eight after having to wait nearly three hours at match point before he could finish off his victory over Daniil Medvedev.

World No 9 Musetti will face either reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev in the last eight after seeing off Medvedev 7-5, 6-4.

Musetti held his nerve to win on the first point after the long break and made sure that his first week in the top 10 of the world rankings would bring another solid run in a big tournament, after he reached the final in Monte Carlo and the last four in Madrid.

Organisers later said that Musetti would have to pull out of his doubles campaign alongside Lorenzo Sonego due to an injury to his right arm.

ALCARAZ THROUGH 

Earlier Carlos Alcaraz beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in a hugely entertaining opening match of the day on centre court.

Third seed Alcaraz had never lost a set in his previous four meetings with Khachanov but was forced to fight to get past Russia's Khachanov.

The Spaniard took his 12th clay-court win of the year to set up a clash in the last eight with fifth seed Jack Draper, a winner over France's Corentin Moutet.

"It was tiring. You know the match was really tough. I had to run. I had to run a lot," said Alcaraz.

"I didn't play well. I just fought and I'm just really happy about it."

Alcaraz needs to get to the Rome semis not just for a chance at his third title of the season but also to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month.