Jannik Sinner has equaled Novak Djokovic’s record of 31 straight victories at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments by easing past compatriot Andrea Pellegrino at the Italian Open Tuesday.
Sinner is undefeated at this level, the rung below the Grand Slams, since having to retire with severe leg cramps against Tallon Griekspoor at the Shanghai Masters last October. He has won a record five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles since, and if he goes on to claim the Italian Open title Sunday, the Italian will have won all nine of the tournaments at the age of 24.
Novak Djokovic, the only other man to have achieved the feat, did so at 31. At his next event, the French Open, Sinner has the chance to complete the career Grand Slam of all four major titles.
Given how invincible Sinner has been for most of this year, the odds were stacked against his opponent, ranked No. 155, in this fourth-round match. Pellegrino, a relative veteran at 28, did well to try and live with Sinner in the early stages, forcing a break point when down 3-0, but he was ultimately overwhelmed 6-2, 6-3. Sinner, who hasn’t lost since February, demonstrated some of his newfound touch in another comprehensive win.
It took 28 minutes for Pellegrino to win his first game, earning a roar of approval from the Foro Italico crowd when he held for 4-1. But a quarter of an hour later, he was sat at a change of ends a set down, unable to live with the world No. 1.
Pellegrino responded impressively in the second set, going for his shots and playing with a lot more aggressiveness. Having spent just 13 percent of the first set in attack (compared to Sinner’s 32), according to data from Courtside Advantage, Pellegrino was up at 25 percent compared to his opponent’s 23 after six evenly split games of the second set.
He should have earned a couple of break points for 4-2, but missed a forehand and was then broken himself. Sinner then claimed the next two games to book his place in the quarterfinals. Pellegrino, meanwhile, ended up without a break point all match, meaning that Sinner has faced just one in his previous five matches.
Such a comfortable win was a fitting way for Sinner to equal Djokovic’s record, given how dominant most of those 31 consecutive wins have been. He faces either Russian No. 12 seed Andrey Rublev or the Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili in the last eight, and with every match he plays right now, Sinner will be the overwhelming favorite.
His focus after achieving another bit of tennis history on Tuesday will be securing a first title in Rome. Attention then turns to Roland Garros, which gets underway Sunday, May 24.