Jannik Sinner continues to write tennis history. By defeating Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match at the Rome Masters 1000, the Italian extended his consecutive Masters-level winning streak to 29, matching the third-longest run in series history held by Roger Federer.
In front of his home crowd at the Foro Italico, the world No. 1 delivered a clinical performance. Just five unforced errors in the first set, a devastating forehand, and a perfect drop shot to break early in the second: Sinner played with impressive authority, wrapping up the match in 91 minutes.
The numbers underline his dominance. He won 82% of points behind his first serve (27 of 33), 71% on his second serve (15 of 21), and conceded just nine games. The match was interrupted twice, including once as Sinner served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but the Italian never lost focus.
The records within reach are staggering. Reaching the semi-finals in Rome would push his streak to 32 and surpass Novak Djokovic's all-time record of 31 consecutive wins from his remarkable 2011 season. Sinner is also chasing the Rome title, which would complete the Career Golden Masters, an achievement only Djokovic has accomplished.
"It's an amazing feeling. In the first matches, the most important part is trying not to lose. The level eventually comes day by day," Sinner said after the match, modest despite extraordinary numbers: 46 wins from his last 48 matches, with only two sets dropped in his last 60 Masters-level encounters.
His next opponent will be Alexei Popyrin, who defeated Jakub Mensik in three sets. A potential banana skin, given that Mensik was one of only two players to beat Sinner this season, in the Doha quarter-finals.
