History belongs to Jannik Sinner. The Italian sensation stormed into the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday, dispatching Andrey Rublev in ruthless fashion whilst etching his name into the ATP record books with a Masters 1000 winning streak that now surpasses even Novak Djokovic.
Another clinical straight-sets demolition, this time 6-2, 6-4 over the hapless Rublev, took Sinner’s consecutive wins at the ATP’s elite tier to 32, surpassing the previous benchmark of 31 set by Djokovic way back in 2011.
“I don’t play for records, I play just for my own story,” Sinner told the adoring centre court crowd. “At the same time, it means a lot to me, but tomorrow is another day, another opponent.
Humility aside, the world number one looks utterly unstoppable right now.
Rublev represented Sinner’s first seeded opponent at this year’s tournament in Rome, and the Russian offered about as much resistance as a paper umbrella in a hurricane.
The match followed a familiar script from the opening game. Rublev dropped serve immediately in both sets, handing Sinner a comfortable foothold each time before capitulating with 28 unforced errors across just 18 games.
The Italian, meanwhile, produced moments of sublime quality. A gorgeous cross-court drop shot helped him break Rublev for the fourth time, establishing a commanding 4-1 lead in the second set that left his opponent chasing shadows.
“I felt like we both didn’t play at our best today, but at the same time, you know, the conditions here are very tough,” Sinner said, referencing the changeable and windy Roman weather. “I tried to adapt myself in the best possible way, and obviously I’m happy.”
On Friday, Sinner is likely to face Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 champion at the Foro Italico, with the seventh seed taking on lucky loser Martin Landaluce in the evening session (scheduled for 1700 GMT).
With great rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury, Sinner has become the overwhelming favourite to achieve something no Italian has managed in five decades, winning the Rome title on home soil.
The implications stretch beyond the Eternal City. A potential career Grand Slam looms at the French Open, where Sinner’s current form suggests he’ll arrive as the man to beat on the Parisian clay.
