Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz LIVE: Italian Open final score and updates

Alcaraz is playing like a brick wall – NOTHING is getting past him!

Sinner hits a beauty of a forehand that the Spaniard manages to return. They continue to go strike-for-strike before Alcaraz bombs a backhand down the line to take another impressive point on the defensive.

Sinner then fluffs a difficult backhand smash and goes wide in the next to give Alcaraz two break points.

And that’s ANOTHER break for Alcaraz! It’s a bad miss from Sinner at the net, and that could be that.

This is a difficult patch for Sinner, and one he needs to snap out of if he wants to turn this second set around.

A deflection off the net cord doesn’t go the Italian’s way once again before Alcaraz plays a beautiful forehand to give himself two game points.

And that is just world class from Alcaraz – a sublime drop shot seals a third consecutive game for the Spaniard!

Sinner didn’t even try and return that. The World No 1 is looking deflated.

This is turning into a really disciplined performance from Alcaraz. Sinner presses a bit too hard and suddenly, he finds himself 0-40 down on serve.

Alcaraz has three break points.

And he only needs the one! Alcaraz breaks to love and stuns Rome into silence.

Back into clench mode. No rest for the wicked as the second set gets underway.

There was barely any separating the two in the first, and the second starts in a similar vein.

After Sinner goes 0-30 up, Alcaraz fights back under pressure to go 40-30 up. The Italian forces deuce, but Alcaraz makes no mistake over the next two points and holds.

That was nearly the perfect response from the home favourite.

Another mini break advantage lost for Alcaraz as he fumbles a first set point after losing his balance.

But with Sinner with back on serve, Alcaraz finishes with a flurry – forcing the Italian to the net with a drop shot before pouncing on a close volley to take the first!

And breathe – what a first set that was!

The net cord does not do any favours for Sinner as Alcaraz holds up his racket apologetically.

Sinner makes sure he wins the next to stay in touch, with Alcaraz firing low into the net.

Another perfect serve goes unreturned as Alcaraz looks to take control.

It appears that the Spaniard has well and truly found his first serve. That’s until Alcaraz concedes a double fault – and this is all very tight again!

Sinner needs to win these next two points on serve and he does, with Centre Court breathing a sigh of relief as Alcaraz into the net.

The home favourite is still in this.

Carlos Alcaraz gets the first mini break of the match before blasting two of his best serves of the set to storm into a 3-0 lead.

A tight, tight game as Alcaraz gets two chances at completing his recovery, with Sinner biting back both times.

At the third advantage, the Spaniard is able to get the job done and hold. We go to a tiebreak!