Jannik Sinner extended his remarkable dominance on hard courts to 25 straight victories with a commanding win over Félix Auger-Aliassime in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals. The world No. 1, competing in his first event since claiming his fourth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, wasted no time in dismantling his Canadian opponent 6-0, 6-2 in just 71 minutes.
Sinner, who had never beaten Auger-Aliassime before in two previous meetings, started and finished the match with stretches of six consecutive games, showcasing sharp returning and precise serving. His relentless baseline pressure left little room for resistance, and even a brief lapse in the second set, when he was broken, was quickly corrected with an immediate break back.
The Italian has not lost on hard courts since October last year, when Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in Beijing. In achieving his 25th consecutive hard-court victory, Sinner joined an elite group of men this century to reach such a milestone, alongside Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray. Next, he will face either Holger Rune of Denmark or French qualifier Terence Atmane for a spot in the final.
On the women’s side, second seed Coco Gauff booked her place in the quarter-finals with a solid 6-2, 6-4 win over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti. The American mixed aggression with control, adjusting her play to the lighter balls and her opponent’s lack of pace. She now faces another Italian, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, who cruised past former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-1, 6-2.
Gauff acknowledged moments when her play was slightly passive but expressed satisfaction with her ability to maintain an aggressive edge for most of the match. Paolini, meanwhile, displayed excellent shot placement and composure, sealing her victory with minimal fuss.
In other news, Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the upcoming US Open. The Italian former world No. 6, now ranked 59th, has not competed since his first-round exit at Wimbledon, following an abdominal injury. His absence means American Brandon Holt will enter the main draw. Berrettini had already skipped the Swiss Open in Gstaad and the Masters 1000 tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati as part of his recovery.
The US Open main draw kicks off on 24 August, where all eyes will be on whether Sinner can extend his hard-court winning streak on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
