ITALIAN OPEN: SINNER EQUALS DJOKOVIC WITH 31ST STRAIGHT MASTERS 1000 MATCH VICTORY

 

Italy's Jannik Sinner hits a shot against his compatriot Andrea Pellegrino in a men's singles round of 16 match at the Italian Open in Rome, Italy, May 12, 2026. /VCG

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner continued his dominant run at the Italian Open on Tuesday, defeating fellow home hope Andrea Pellegrino in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals and equal Novak Djokovic's record of 31 consecutive wins in Masters 1000 matches.

Sinner has now gone unbeaten in Masters 1000 events since retiring with cramps during a match against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai last October. Djokovic previously set the mark during his remarkable 2011 season.

"If you want to be a great player, you've got to play on all the surfaces and all the tournaments at your maximum," Sinner said. "It's the mind that makes the difference."

Backed by a capacity crowd at Campo Centrale in Foro Italico, with many fans dressed in Sinner's signature color orange, the top seed wasted little time asserting control. He broke his opponent's serve in the opening game and never let Pellegrino back into the contest, improving to 19-0 against Italian compatriots.

The victory also extended Sinner's overall winning streak to 26 matches. The 23-year-old has not lost since falling to Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open on February 19.

Sinner is now chasing more history in Rome. If he lifts the Italian Open trophy this week, he will become only the second man after Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

The 24-year-old has already claimed five consecutive Masters titles, and with Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a right wrist injury, Sinner has emerged as the clear favorite both in Rome and heading into the French Open.

"It's time to take the title away from Adriano," read one fan's sign at Foro Italico, referencing Adriano Panatta, the last Italian man to win the singles crown in the nation's capital 50 years ago.

Panatta is scheduled to present the trophy following Sunday's final.

Sinner's next challenge will come against 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev, who rallied past Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 to book his place in the last eight.

- CGTN