Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman in more than a decade to reach the final of her home Italian Open when she beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5 6-1 on Thursday. Paolini is the first Italian to advance to the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani lost to Serena Williams in 2014.

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 flower at the Foro Italico. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner hasn’t dropped a set in his return from a three-month doping ban at the Italian Open.