World number one Jannik Sinner extended his blistering hardcourt form with a commanding 6-0 6-2 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday, booking his place in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.
The defending champion took just 71 minutes to dispatch the 23rd-seeded Canadian, capitalising on 29 unforced errors and securing his first win in three meetings between the pair. The victory marks Sinner’s 25th consecutive triumph on hard courts, a feat that places the 23-year-old Italian alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray as the only men to achieve such a streak this century.
“Today I felt great on court. I think you saw that but every day is going to be different,” Sinner said. “Tomorrow is a day off, which is good for me. We will try and put some reps in and then see what I can do in the semis.”
Sinner will next face French qualifier Terence Atmane, who continued his dream run by stunning seventh seed Holger Rune 6-2 6-3. The 23-year-old, ranked outside the Top 100 before the tournament, was visibly emotional after the win.
“I don’t think any words can describe how I feel right now,” Atmane said. “It’s pretty insane to be honest. I cannot believe it.
“Being here in the semi-finals of a Masters 1000, breaking into the Top 100 and even more with the win tonight, it’s also a lot of money for me, so it’s going to be very helpful for my career. It means a lot to me. I’m very emotional about it.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Open champion Ben Shelton advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-4 6-4 win over Czech 22nd seed Jiri Lehecka. The American fifth seed, continuing his strong form, will next take on third seed Alexander Zverev of Germany.
“I’m hungry. I’m in a good rhythm,” said Shelton. “I’m playing good tennis and my body feels good.
“I think the confidence along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I’m out on the court, and having things that I want to get better at is a huge motivation for me and it pushes me every match.”
In the women’s draw, second seed Coco Gauff cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-4 win over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti.
“For the most part I played aggressive. Maybe got a bit passive in some of those games. But it’s tough. The balls are super light and they fly,” Gauff said.
“She wasn’t giving me much pace. I was trying to play with control but also aggressive. I think I did well. I missed a couple of balls. But I learned from it and was able to close it out.”
The American star will face another Italian in the next round, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, who beat Barbora Krejcikova 6-1 6-2 in a rematch of their 2024 Wimbledon final, which Krejcikova had won.