Jannik Sinner stormed into the last 16 of the Italian Open on Monday with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, continuing his impressive quest for a maiden title in Rome.
The world number one needed just over an hour to dispatch Popyrin and extend his winning streak to 25 matches, setting up an all-Italian fourth-round clash with qualifier Andrea Pellegrino.
Pellegrino, ranked 155th in the world, advanced after stunning 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (10/8), 6-1. The 29-year-old had never previously competed in the main draw of a Masters 1000 tournament before this week.
Sinner’s latest triumph also extended his remarkable run in ATP elite-level events, having now won his last five tournaments.
The 24-year-old joined Novak Djokovic as the only players to begin a season with 25 consecutive victories in Masters 1000 events, with the Serbian legend holding the record of 31 straight wins set in 2011.
Popyrin struggled throughout the match, committing 23 unforced errors and landing just 48 per cent of his first serves, allowing Sinner to break serve five times in a one-sided contest.
“It has been a very good performance from my side,” Sinner said after the match.
“He’s a big server, so his percentage was not very high, which helped me a little bit, but I’ve been returning very well on second serves.”
A title run at the Foro Italico would make Sinner the first Italian man to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976, while also completing his collection of Masters 1000 titles.
With rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury and Novak Djokovic already eliminated, Sinner has emerged as the overwhelming favourite ahead of the French Open, which begins next week.
Elsewhere, former Rome champion Daniil Medvedev advanced automatically into the third round after opponent Pablo Llamas Ruiz withdrew, handing the Russian seventh seed a walkover.
Gauff battles into quarter-finals
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff survived a major scare to book her place in the quarter-finals after battling past fellow American Iva Jovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
Gauff saved a match point in a gruelling encounter on a windy centre court that lasted nearly three hours.
The reigning French Open champion has endured an inconsistent clay-court season, following an early exit in Madrid and a quarter-final finish in Stuttgart.
At one point during the tense contest, the 22-year-old vented her frustration by hitting herself lightly on the head after saving a match point while trailing 5-4 in the second set.
However, she regrouped strongly to set up a last-eight showdown with rising star Mirra Andreeva.
“It was really hard,” Gauff said.
“I think the conditions made it tough to make some clean tennis. Really proud of how I was able to fight.”
Later on Monday, Naomi Osaka was scheduled to face three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek.
For Osaka, a place in the quarter-finals would mark her best result of a difficult season, after last-16 defeats at both Indian Wells and the Madrid Open against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
AFP
