World number one Jannik Sinner continued his dominant run at the Italian Open after defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets on Thursday to book a place in the semi-finals and create a new Masters 1000 record.
Sinner secured a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 victory over Rublev at the Foro Italico in Rome, extending his winning streak in ATP Masters 1000 events to 32 matches. The achievement allowed the Italian star to surpass the previous record of 31 consecutive wins set by Novak Djokovic in 2011.
Speaking after the match, Sinner downplayed the significance of the record and insisted that his primary focus remains on improving his own game.
“I don’t play for records, I play just for my own story,” Sinner said after the win. “At the same time, it means a lot to me, but tomorrow is another day, another opponent, a different opponent.”
Rublev, seeded at the tournament, struggled to cope with Sinner’s aggressive baseline play and consistency. The Russian dropped serve in the opening game of both sets, allowing the Italian to immediately take control of the contest. Rublev also committed 28 unforced errors during the match, making it difficult for him to challenge the top seed.
Although Sinner displayed flashes of brilliant tennis throughout the encounter, he appeared slightly fatigued towards the closing stages of the match and was seen touching his left thigh before serving out the victory confidently.
Later, the Italian admitted that the packed schedule was beginning to take a toll physically.
“I’m starting to feel that I’ve been playing a lot, so I need to recover as much as possible because tomorrow will be very difficult,” Sinner told reporters.
He also stressed that his bigger objective this season remains the upcoming French Open in Paris.
“However it goes, it will still be positive for me. If I win, great, but even if things don’t go well, I’ll have more time to prepare for Paris, which is my main objective this year,” he added.
Sinner could now face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals if the Russian overcomes lucky loser Martin Landaluce in their quarter-final clash. With Carlos Alcaraz sidelined due to injury, Sinner has emerged as one of the strongest favourites to lift the Rome title and potentially become the first Italian in decades to win the prestigious tournament.
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff advanced to the final of the Italian Open for the second consecutive year after defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3.
The American star produced a composed performance and showed significant improvement in her serving, committing just one double fault while landing 79 percent of her first serves.
Gauff, who lost last year’s final to Jasmine Paolini, is now aiming to capture the Rome title ahead of defending her crown at Roland Garros.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek was set to face Elina Svitolina in the other semi-final. Swiatek, a multiple-time French Open champion, appears to have rediscovered her best form on clay after an inconsistent start to the season.
The Polish star recently added former Rafael Nadal coach Francisco Roig to her team in an effort to regain consistency on her preferred surface.