Exactly what Jannik Sinner said to get Daniil Medvedev match suspended after official complaint

Jannik Sinner could be heard urging umpire Aurelie Tourte to stop Friday's Italian Open semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev, despite having just secured a break in the deciding set.

With the score tied at one set apiece, the much-anticipated clash between Medvedev and Sinner was suspended due to heavy rain as the latter held a 4-2 lead in the third set.

It was a decision that split opinion. Medvedev, who had registered an on-court complaint against Sinner after the Italian received treatment for cramps, wanted the match to continue despite the slippery conditions.

An exhausted Sinner, meanwhile, was keen for the match to be suspended. "It's pouring!" he could be heard saying to Tourte.

"It's raining buckets," the world number one added, after his comment was snubbed. "What do you mean? But what do you mean? The problem is the lines, what if I slip on the lines? I can make a decision, but it's raining buckets!"

Tourte responded to Sinner, saying: “If the court is good, we play," but a short time later, she changed her mind and suspended the match until further notice.

Sinner speaks to umpire Aurelie Tourte. Image credit: Getty

Towards the end of Friday's contest, Sinner was showing noticeable signs of fatigue. In fact, after continuously leaning on his racquet to support himself, he was struggling to catch his breath on the sidelines.

Footage of the scenes at Foro Italico has become a huge talking point online, with fans expressing their concerns.

Tennis writer Pavvy G wrote: "Something is majorly off. Those who really care about Sinner should be really concerned too, this is not normal for a supremely fit 24-year-old elite athlete. We see this so many times now with him, he's putting his health at risk."

At one stage, medical staff worked on Sinner’s thigh as pain was etched across his face, although his opponent was less than sympathetic and lodged a complaint with Tourte.

“When we call the physio for cramps, we don’t get fined?” Medvedev said.

According to ATP Tour rules, players are not allowed medical timeouts for cramps, as they are classed as a fitness issue rather than an injury.

Jannik Sinner jokes about rain after reaching Italian Open final

On Saturday, Sinner went on to secure his place in the Italian Open final with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 win. He will come up against Casper Ruud on Sunday.

"I'm glad to have finally finished this match, and now it's starting to rain too," he laughed. "It was a very different challenge; usually I don't have trouble sleeping at night, but tonight it wasn't easy.

"Even though the third set was almost over, you still have to show up, and you never know what might happen. I'm happy with how I handled the situation."

"Casper is playing even better tennis now," the Italian added. "Every week is different, even if you face the same opponents. This is an important tournament for me and all Italians. I just want to try to do my best."