By Ayomide Otitoju
Jannik Sinner advanced to the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday after defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets and setting a new record for consecutive wins in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
The world number one secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Rublev in Rome, extending his winning streak in Masters 1000 events to 32 matches, surpassing the previous record of 31 set by Novak Djokovic in 2011.
“I don’t play for records, I play just for my own story,” Sinner said after the match.
Rublev, the first seeded player Sinner faced at this year’s tournament, struggled to cope with the Italian’s consistency and committed 28 unforced errors during the contest.
Sinner broke Rublev’s serve in the opening game of both sets and maintained control throughout the match, delighting the home crowd at the Foro Italico.
The Italian is expected to face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals if the seventh seed overcomes Spain’s Martin Landaluce.
With rival Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury, Sinner has emerged as the favourite to become the first Italian in 50 years to win the Rome title.
In the women’s draw, Iga Świątek was set to continue her bid for a first final appearance of the season when she faced Elina Svitolina later on Thursday.
Świątek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, has rediscovered top form in Rome after an inconsistent clay-court season.
The Polish star recently added former Rafael Nadal coach Francisco Roig to her team following a difficult start to the year.
Should she progress, Świątek could meet reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff in the final, provided the American defeats Sorana Cîrstea in the other semi-final.
