World No. 1 Jannik Sinner extended his winning streak in Masters 1000 events to 31 matches, equaling Novak Djokovic’s record, as he cruised into the quarter-finals of the Italian Open. The Italian star defeated qualifier and compatriot Andrea Pellegrino 6-2, 6-3 at the Foro Italico, continuing his dominant run.
Highlights of the ATP Italian Open match between Jannik Sinner and Andrea Pellegrino
Sinner, who set a new milestone by winning his fifth consecutive Masters title in Madrid last weekend, now aims to complete the set of nine top-tier ATP Tour titles—a feat only achieved by Djokovic so far. The 26-year-old has dropped just two sets since his last loss to Jakub Mensik in February.
Next up, Sinner will face Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Rublev rallied from a set down to defeat Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in a thriller: 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Image: Jannik Sinner is also on a 26-match unbeaten run across all tournaments (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Second seed Alexander Zverev was stunned by another Italian, 18th seed Luciano Darderi, who saved four match points and fought back from a set and 5-3 down to win 1-6, 7-6 (12-10), 6-0. Zverev criticized the court conditions, saying, “I think this is the worst court I’ve ever played on… I have match point and the ball jumps over my head.”
Darderi will next take on 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who became the first teenager to reach the men’s quarter-finals in Rome since Djokovic in 2007. Jodar beat Learner Tien 6-1, 6-4, while Casper Ruud upset Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti.
Highlights of the ATP Italian Open match between Rafael Jodar and Learner Tien
In the women’s quarter-finals, Coco Gauff battled back from a set down for the third consecutive match in Rome, defeating Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. The American struggled with errors early but regained control, though she nearly let a 5-1 lead slip in the final set before closing out the win.
“I tried to stay there mentally again. I had a big lead in the third set, then it got a bit close, but Mirra’s a great player and is capable of winning games, so I learned a bit on how to close things out but I’m glad I was able to win,” Gauff said.
Highlights of the WTA Italian Open match between Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva
Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea, who upset world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the tournament, continued her brilliant run with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-0) victory over Jelena Ostapenko.
