Italy's world number one Jannik Sinner beat number 16 Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to qualify for the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday with his 32nd-consecutive Masters 1000 victory, meaning he has surpassed Novak Djokovic's record.
The 24-year-old did not have Thursday's match all his own way though.
After cruising in the first set and breaking Rublev twice to go 4-1 up in the second, he showed composure to get over the finish line after the Russian rallied to pull back to 4-3 and put him under intense pressure in the subsequent service game.
The four-time Grand Slam winner is aiming to continue his hot winning streak at the Rome tournament after triumphing at the Madrid Open to become the first man to win five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.
"I'm happy about my record and to be in the semifinals," Sinner, who is aiming for his first triumph at the Foro Italico, told Sky Sport.
"Today I started well, he made a few mistakes, and both of us had rather low first-serve percentages.
"In the end, things got a bit complicated, but that's okay. I'm working hard both physically and mentally.
"Now I'm trying to recover because I'm feeling a bit tired from playing so much in the last few months," he added in his interview on court.
"So far, I've played four very different matches in Rome. I knew Rublev better and I prepared well. I won thanks to you too," he said to the crowd.
Djokovic's previous record of 31 straight Masters 1000 wins spanned from the 2011 Indian Wells second round to the 2011 Cincinnati Open final.
Sinner's last loss at a Masters 1000 event was at the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters in October, when he retired during the deciding set of his third-round clash with Tallon Griekspoor.
If he wins the Italian Open, Sinner will join Djokovic as the only men to complete the Career Golden Masters.
Sinner's compatriot Luciano Darderi, world number 21, is also in the last four after beating Spanish teen Rafael Jodar 7-6, 5-7, 6-0 overnight.
"The Italian movement is the most important thing, and I'm very happy for Darderi," said Sinner.
"He's doing something incredible, and the more Italians there are, especially in Rome, the better".
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