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.

Casper Ruud claimed the Madrid Masters crown. The Norwegian wished for more at the Rome Masters but experienced a humbling quarter-final defeat. Casper fell to world no. 1 Jannik Sinner 6-0 6-1 in 64 minutes,

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.