Jannik Sinner was seen vomiting on the court and grimacing in pain before his Italian Open semi-final against Daniil Medvedev was suspended by rain in the third set on Friday night in Rome.
Sinner had raced to a 4-0 lead over Medvedev as the world No. 1 chases a record-breaking streak of 32 successive wins in ATP Masters 1000 matches. The Italian took the opening set 6-2 but appeared physically hampered during the second, battling back from 3-0 down while regularly leaning on his racket after points.
The 24-year-old was seen vomiting by the side of the court and grimacing after taking his seat at changeovers. Medvedev kept up the pressure and eventually broke to win the second set 7-5, forcing a deciding third set for the first time this tournament.
Medical timeout dispute
The drama continued in the third set when Sinner received a medical timeout after breaking serve to lead 3-2. Medvedev was seen questioning the timeout with chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, appearing to suggest his rival was receiving special treatment. A physio was seen rubbing Sinner's leg while the Italian drank pickle juice, which is known to help with cramps.
Under ATP rules, players are not allowed treatment for cramping, since it is considered a conditioning issue rather than an injury.
Jamie Murray, commentating on Sky Sports, agreed with Medvedev's complaint but said the rule is regularly exploited by players. Murray said Sinner was essentially being treated for cramp, with his quads massaged one after the other, and questioned how two injured quads could be explained as something other than cramp while Sinner sipped pickle juice. He added that players exploit the rule every week and that both Medvedev and ATP physio Paul Ness knew what was happening.
Match suspended by rain
Rain stopped play with Medvedev holding advantage on his serve at 4-2 down in the deciding set. The winner will face Casper Ruud in the final, after the Norwegian beat Italy's Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1 in the other semi-final.
Sinner is aiming to become only the second man after Novak Djokovic to complete the Golden Masters, with the Italian Open the last of the nine Masters 1000 events he needs to win. He has won the last five Masters 1000 events and will head into the French Open as the clear favourite with Carlos Alcaraz absent through injury. Medvedev, the 30-year-old seeking his second title in Rome, will look to deny Sinner a place in the final when the match resumes.