Jannik Sinner has equalled Novak Djokovic’s record by defeating compatriot Andrea Pellegrino in the fourth round. Sinner has broken Novak Djokovic’s all-time record of successive match wins at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments by recording the 32nd straight victory of his historic streak to reach the Italian Open semi-finals.
Sinner’s Record-Breaking Run
The Italian world number one overpowered 12th seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to continue his bid to join Djokovic as only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles – the sport’s highest level below the Grand Slams. Sinner, 24, appears in unstoppable form before the French Open – the only major standing between him and a career Grand Slam – begins on 24 May.
He has joined Spanish great Rafael Nadal as the only other man to reach semi-finals at each of the first five Masters 1000 events in a season, and will face Russian Daniil Medvedev for a place in the showpiece final.
Sinner told the crowd, “I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. At the same time, it means a lot to me. But tomorrow is another opponent, in different conditions – it’s a night match.”
Medvedev Advances to Semi-Finals
Seventh seed Medvedev lost the first five games against Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce as he conceded the opening set in just 26 minutes, but battled back to win 1-6 6-4 7-5 and reach his first semi-final in the clay-court swing.
Sinner’s Dominance on the Court
Sinner has won 45 of his past 47 matches across all tournaments since suffering his last defeat at a Masters 1000 tournament, when he was forced to retire from his third-round match in Shanghai. He has triumphed at that level in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid this year, following victory in Paris in November, winning 64 of the 66 sets he has contested during his record-breaking run.
With his victory in Madrid earlier this month, he became the first player in history to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles – just two weeks later he is closing in on a sixth. Overall, he has claimed 121 wins from 150 matches at ATP 1000 level, with only 22-time major winner Nadal (123) boasting a better record since the format’s introduction in 1990.
Gauff Reaches Back-to-Back Rome Finals
Third seed Coco Gauff made it back-to-back finals in Rome – and ended Sorana Cirstea’s fairy-tale run – with a 6-4 6-3 win over the Romanian in the last four. Cirstea, 36, who will retire at the end of this season, had won 10 of her 12 matches on clay heading into the semi-final but couldn’t match
Keen to deliver for his passionate home crowd, Sinner will now seek two more victories as he attempts to become the first Italian men’s singles champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.