Jannik Sinner powers into Italian Open quarters with another straight set win

The win equals a remarkable record set by tennis legend Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors as his relentless winning run continued at the Italian Open this week.

It secured Sinner a place in the quarter-finals in Rome for the second time in his career, much to the delight of his adoring home fans in Rome.

Sinner was always likely to face his toughest challenge in his comeback tournament after a doping ban and he was pushed hard by the in-form Cerundolo.

"He's a very tough competitor," said Sinner of Cerundolo. "It's a great challenge for me, especially now in this moment, trying to get used to so many difficult situations on the court.

"I knew before the match that it was going to be very tough. It was a long day for both of us. Now we know each other a bit better because we played the last time we were here and a couple of times before that.

"We had a bit of an idea of what to expect. We practiced with him before the tournament, which gave us some insight on where to start.

"I broke him in the first and it was a very long game, and when he broke me back I just tried to stay there mentally and play every point.

"But I'm very happy because today I felt that I raised my level. Game-wise, I felt a little bit better, which I'm very glad and happy [about].

"It was very heavy conditions and it was a very long day. The crowd helped me so much today. I'm happy to go through.

"I have to do many things and try to recover in the best possible way. But exactly as I said, I need this.

"I'm happy to be back [after] three months out, so with every situation I'm very fortunate and lucky. Let's see, whatever comes up, comes up."

The win ensured that Sinner joined Borg and Conner in securing 50 wins as world No. 1, with the Italian needing just 53 matches to reach that milestone.

Roger Federer needed 54 matches to reach that total and Rafael Nadal needed 56, while Djokovic also needed more matches.

Sinner's remarkable consistency since he took over as world No. 1 has given him a remarkable win percentage of 94.3% since he climbed to the top of the ATP Rankings last year.

He opened up on his emotions after this latest win and in an ominous message to his rivals, he suggested he is now playing with more freedom after leaving the nightmare of his positive doping test behind.

"I feel lighter after a year with so much weight on my shoulders. Now I don't have it anymore," he added.

"There's no better place to play than on the Centre Court of each tournament. It's always a great feeling to step onto the court, and all I can do is give my 100%."

Sinner also hinted he will reconsider whether he will play in the ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg next week, as he is getting more match practice than he may have expected in his comeback event in Rome.

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