[Source: Reuters Sports]

Holger Rune battled from a set and break down to seal a 6-7(2) 6-4 6-2 win over world number four Casper Ruud in an absorbing all-Scandinavian Italian Open semi-final and will face Daniil Medvedev for the title.

Medvedev, who has repeatedly said he feels more comfortable on hardcourts, continued his stellar run on clay with a 7-5 7-5 win over 2021 French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and will aim to capture his fifth crown of the year in Sunday’s final.

Earlier, French and U.S. Open runner-up Ruud won a tight first set with 22 winners, including 11 on his forehand, and looked on course for a spot in the final after grabbing the first break of the match in the second set for a 4-2 lead.

Rune took a medical timeout for a minor shoulder problem and that looked to throw Estoril champion Ruud off his game as the 24-year-old Norwegian surrendered his serve twice to get dragged into a deciding set.

A double-fault gifted Rune a break and a 3-1 lead in the final set and the 20-year-old never looked back as he sealed a first victory over Ruud in their fifth meeting.

Third seed Medvedev broke in the opening game of his semi-final but the Russian dropped serve before rain stopped play. The players returned after nearly three hours for one game before the match was halted again.

Back after another frustrating delay, Tsitsipas squandered a 40-0 lead to allow Medvedev to go up 6-5 and eventually take the advantage in the clash.

After the players traded breaks in the second set, Medvedev got in front again after the 11th game and closed out the win on serve and celebrated reaching his first Masters final on clay with an impromptu dance.

In the women’s final, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina meets Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina.