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

Italy’s tennis boom is in full force at the Foro Italico. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner hasn’t dropped a set at the Italian Open in his return from a three-month doping ban. Lorenzo Musetti is into the semifinals.

Jannik Sinner marched into the semifinals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, as Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China's Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women's final.