Jannik Sinner has etched his name into tennis history by breaking Novak Djokovic's record for consecutive victories at ATP Masters 1000 events, extending his extraordinary winning streak to 32 matches.
The 24-year-old Italian, currently ranked number one in the world, defeated 12th seed Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 to secure his place in the Italian Open semi-finals.
Sinner now moves closer to joining Djokovic as only the second player to capture all nine Masters 1000 titles.
The victory in Rome keeps alive his pursuit of a sixth successive title at this level.
Sinner is in flying form heading into the French Open, which begins on May 24.
Roland Garros is the last major championship standing between the Italian and a career Grand Slam.
By reaching the last four in Rome, he has matched a feat previously achieved only by Rafael Nadal in progressing to the semi-finals at each of the opening five Masters 1000 tournaments of the season.
His next opponent will be either Daniil Medvedev or Martin Landaluce, with a place in the final at stake.
Jannik Sinner has broken Novak Djokovic's record for consecutive victories at ATP Masters 1000 events
|REUTERS
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Earlier this month, Sinner claimed the Madrid title to become the first player ever to win five consecutive Masters 1000 crowns.
The Italian told the crowds: "I don't play for records. I play just for my own story.
"At the same time, it means a lot to me. But tomorrow is another opponent, in different conditions - it's a night match.
"Now the highest priority for me is trying to recover as much as I can physically.
Jannik Sinner said his 'highest priority is trying to recover as much as I can physically'
|REUTERS
"Emotionally it takes a lot playing here at home. At the same time, I'll definitely try to do my best.
"It's a win-win situation for me in any case. It was a good day today."
Since retiring from his third-round encounter in Shanghai, his only Masters 1000 defeat, he has accumulated 45 victories from 47 matches across all competitions.
The Italian admitted it takes a lot out of him emotionally, playing on home soil
|REUTERS
Throughout his record-breaking sequence, he has claimed 64 of the 66 sets contested, securing titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Madrid this year, in addition to his Paris triumph last November.
His overall Masters 1000 record now stands at 121 wins from 150 matches, placing him second only to 22-time major champion Nadal, who has 123 victories since the format's inception in 1990.
Two more wins would make Sinner the first Italian men's singles champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta half a century ago.
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