By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Facebook

The ATP Tour is an ongoing action flick.

Tennis Terminator Jannik Sinner continues to power the plot dispensing terminal resuts.

In an all-Italian clash, Sinner swept qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, 6-2, 6-3 rolling into the Rome quarterfinals with his 26th straight victory.

A streaking Sinner scored his 31st consecutive Masters 1000 win—equaling Grand Slam King Novak Djokovic for longest winning streak in series history. 

Continuing his quest to capture his maiden Rome championship—and become the first man to collect five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 championships, Sinner improved to 32-2 in a historic season. If Sinner wins Rome he will join Djokovic, the man who dethroned him at the Australian Open, as the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 championships. It’s a feat that eluded even King of Clay Rafael Nadal and Swiss Maestro Roger Federer.

Clad in black, Sinner pulled the plug on Pellegrino’s inspired breakthrough run that saw him knock off Frances Tiafoe and move to within one win of becoming the first Italian male qualifier to reach the Rome quarterfinals. Sinner is now 19-0 lifetime vs fellow Italians.

World No. 1 Sinner remains a world apart in Masters series play. Sinner will square off against either qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili or 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev as he aims to join legendary Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion, as the second Italian man to reach the Rome semifinals. 

The Tricolour was flying in a packed Campo Centrale that Sinner soon turned to a black-and-blue hue. Winning eight of the first 10 points, Sinner was stretching an understandably jittery Pellegrino.

The bearded challenger earned a break point in the fourth game, but found the net. Sinner followed a net-cord forehand with a forehand drop shot holding for 4-0 after 19 minutes.

Angling off a drop shot for his first hold, Pellegrino got on the board after 28 minutes in the fifth game.

Sinner stamped a love hold to cap a strong 42-minute opening set.

Playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 fourth round, Pellegrino settled in and battled throughout the second set. The 29-year-old Pellegrino is balanced off both wings, quick around the court and showed some feel with drop shots. However, standing up to Sinner’s assault and unrelenting velocity off both wings is a punishing prospect even for elite opponents.

The Wimbledon Winner is a fierce front-runner. Pellegrino stayed in step until the seventh game.

In a punishing 25-shot rally, Sinner smacked a barrage of forehands before flicking a forehand drop shot to break for 4-3.

Sinner slammed an ace down the T backing up the break at 15 for 5-3.

The 24-year-old Italian sealed an 88-minute win with an embrace and encouraging words for Pellegrino.

Sinner will try to take his Masters streak to a record-setting length in the quarterfinals.