ROME — Jannik Sinner breezed into the last 16 of the Italian Open on Monday after swatting aside Alexei Popyrin in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 and continue his bid for a first title in Rome.
The world No 1 easily won his 25th straight match, taking just over an hour to see off Australia’s Popyrin and set up an Italian derby with Andrea Pellegrino in the next round, AFP reported.
Pellegrino, 29, who beat 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (10/8), 6-1, is a qualifier ranked 155 in the world who before this week had never played in the main draw of a Masters 100 tournament.
Sinner meanwhile is trying to extend his own record-breaking run of overall victories in the ATP’s top-ranked events after having won his last five.
The 24-year-old joins Novak Djokovic as the only player to win a year’s first 25 Master 1000 matches, with the Serbian tennis icon’s record run stretching to 31 matches in 2011.
Popyrin was suffocated by Sinner and made 23 unforced errors on his way to a comprehensive defeat.
The world number 60 only got 48 per cent of first serves into play and that allowed Sinner to break serve five times and close out a match which was barely a contest.
Should Sinner prevail at the Foro Italico he will be the first Italian to win there since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago, and would complete his collection of Master 100 tournaments.
