Casper Ruud was left stunned by Jannik Sinner ’s performance in the World No 1’s 6-0 6-1 victory against him in the Italian Open quarter-finals. Ruud came into the match in-form after winning the Madrid Open but home favourite Sinner dismantled the Norwegian in just 63 minutes.

Or maybe Jannik Sinner just likes playing against Casper Ruud.Whatever it was, the top-ranked Sinner cranked up his level to near-perfection in a 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of Ruud in the Italian Open quarterfinals on Thursday — a day after Sinner was granted a private audience with the new tennis-playing pope just down the road at the Vatican.

Jannik Sinner marched into the semifinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 and sending a warning that the world No. 1 is officially back.