Rino Tommasi, a master of sports journalism, passed away yesterday in Rome at the age of 90, leaving an irreplaceable void in Italian media and the hearts of all who cherished sports narrated with passion, intelligence, and irony. Tommasi, born in Verona in 1934, was a pioneer of Italian television sports journalism, establishing himself as an outstanding reporter and perceptive analyst who could explain even the most technical parts of complex disciplines like tennis and boxing. His vocabulary was rich in metaphors and emotive images, but most importantly, it was based on accurate statistical data, which has made him a point of reference for generations of followers. The phrase "circoletto rosso" (red circle) is perhaps the most iconic expression associated with Rino Tommasi. It was his way of highlighting the most beautiful points of a match, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to identify the game's pivotal moments. Tommasi, a renowned boxing expert, described some of the most memorable fights in international boxing, from Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson: in this sport, he discovered the perfect union between the poetry of physical gesture and the rawness of competition. His voice accompanied the audience on unforgettable nights, always with a clarity that extended beyond the news, providing fodder for thought and analysis. A pivotal moment of his career was his collaboration with Gianni Clerici, with whom he made an outstanding duo in tennis commentary. Tommasi and Clerici were like two sides of the same coin: the first was pragmatic and analytical, while the second was poetic and irreverent. Together, they have brought tennis into Italian households in a distinctive style that combines expertise, irony, and complicity. "We discuss the games as if we were two friends watching TV. They pay us to do a job that we would pay for", Tommasi would explain, modestly describing the secret to their success. During the era of free-to-air Capodistria broadcasts, and later with the advent of pay TV, they "played" unforgettable matches alongside champions like Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanišević, and Stefan Edberg. For the Italian audience, they became part of the spectacle without ever overshadowing it.