Top-seeded Jannik Sinner continued his blistering form on Monday, dismantling Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-2, 6-0 to book a spot in the last 16 at the Italian Open in Rome.
Sinner tallied 20 winners against just seven from his opponent, joining Novak Djokovic as the only men to win their opening 25 ATP Masters 1000 matches in a single season. Overall, Sinner has now won 30 consecutive Masters 1000 matches, tying Djokovic’s 2014-15 streak. The Serbian holds the all-time record of 31 straight, set in 2011.
The Italian needed just 67 minutes to complete the victory, facing no break points. He fired five aces without a double fault, while Popyrin struggled with three double faults and a meager 48% first-serve accuracy.
“It was a very good performance,” Sinner said. “He is a big server and his percentage was not very high, which helped me a little bit. But I have been returning the second serves very well and I am happy to be in the next round.”
Sinner committed only 12 unforced errors — just one off his backhand side — and cruised through the contest.
“On the conditions, I feel like the wind was one way,” Sinner added. “I didn’t have to change a lot, but in the same time, when you play with wind, you try to move the ball a bit more around. When you are against the wind, I try to go quite flat.”
Next up for Sinner is another Italian — qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, who stunned 20th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (8), 6-1. The 29-year-old Pellegrino, ranked 155th, won 30 of 41 first-serve points (73.2%) to extend his run.
“It is amazing,” Pellegrino said. “When I came here at the beginning of the tournament, I didn’t expect to have this kind of result. I am very happy with my game. I have played five matches and it is a really good level. I am so happy.”
Pellegrino now faces a daunting task against Sinner. Their only prior meeting came at an ITF event in 2019, when an 17-year-old Sinner brushed him aside 6-1, 6-1.
“It will be a really good experience for me,” Pellegrino said. “Maybe we will play on Center (Court), where I have never played.”
Two other Italians fell on Monday. Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante upset No. 10 Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4, and Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-3.
Russian No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev rallied past qualifier Pablo Llamas Ruiz of Spain 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, while No. 12 Russian Andrey Rublev downed Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-4. Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili beat No. 30 Brandon Nakashima of the United States 7-6 (5), 6-4, and Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic outlasted Argentina’s Mariano Navone 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
