David against Goliath in the round of 16 of the Rome Masters

Until final week, Pellegrino had by no means reached the foremost draw of a Masters 1000, the most necessary tournaments after the Grand Slam.

In the Italian capital he has simply chained three notable victories, with a bit of fortune, comparable to the abandonment attributable to damage to the Frenchman Arthur Fils in the second round, however with loads of dedication and composure, as Frances Tiafoe suffered this Monday.

The American, twenty second in the world and quarterfinalist at Roland Garros in 2025, surrendered 7-6 (10/8) and 6-1 against a rival whose pure habitat is the Challenger circuit, the second degree in the world.

Pellegrino, 29, has no actual rationalization for this good streak, besides that he’s making an attempt to “give his all.”

“It is the only motto that I have imposed on myself, even in training, something that was a little more difficult for me before,” acknowledged the man who will make a bounce of 31 locations in the ATP rankings, to one hundred and twenty fifth, the greatest place of his profession.

“Monumental beating”

Barring a historic shock, his fairy story ought to finish on Tuesday: his subsequent rival is none apart from the greatest participant on the planet and massive favourite of the match, Sinner, who swept the Australian Alexei Popyrin (sixtieth) 6-2 and 6-0 to signal his twenty fifth consecutive victory.

“Playing on the Campo Centrale in front of 10,000 people against the best player in the world, who has won the last five tournaments he has played, will be an incredible emotion and I hope to enjoy it,” declared Pellegrino.

The two gamers have already confronted one another, in 2019 on the Futures circuit, the third degree in the world, in the remaining of the Santa Margherita di Pula match, in Italy, a duel received by Sinner, 17 years previous, 6-1 and 6-1.

“I took a monumental beating,” Pellegrino recalled. “I remember few things, I only remember having lost decisively.”

Always very diplomatic, Sinner, for his half, was delighted to play “an Italian derby.”

“Andrea is no longer the same player as in 2019, neither am I, I expect a very, very difficult game,” he warned.

Winner of the final 5 Masters 1000 on the calendar (Paris in 2025; Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Monte Carlo this yr), the participant born in Alto Adige, a German-speaking area in northeastern Italy, can develop into the first Italian to win at the Foro Italico, in the males’s draw, since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Landaluce against Medjedovic

It’s exhausting to think about that Sinner, who can match Novak Djokovic’s longest streak of Masters 1000 wins (31 in 2011), goes to be shocked.

But the Foro Italico is conducive to nice tales this yr.

In the foremost draw with fortunate loser standing (he had fallen in the second round of qualifying against Pellegrino), the Spanish Martín Landaluce (94th) reached the round of 16 by defeating the Italian Mattia Belluci (eightieth) 6-4, 6-3.

Landaluce, 20 years previous, will attempt to get his place in the quarterfinals against one other shock visitor, the Serbian Hamad Medjedovic (88th), who made the Argentine Mariano Navone (forty fourth) surrender 4-6, 6-3 and 6-4.

In addition, the Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante (69th) will play his first eighth in a Masters 1000 after passing over the favourite of the Roman public, Flavio Cobolli (twelfth), 6-3 and 6-4.

Gauff saves himself, Swiatek forceful

In the ladies’s match, after the eliminations of the world primary, Aryna Sabalenka, and the defending champion, Jasmine Paolini, the logic was revered in the round of 16.

Although the fourth participant in the rating, the American Coco Gauff, a finalist final yr in Rome and topped three weeks later at Roland Garros, suffered to beat her compatriot Iva Joric (seventeenth), 18 years previous, who had a match level earlier than bowing 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

Triple champion in Rome and four-time winner of Roland Garros however with out nice outcomes this yr, quantity 3 Iga Swiatek appears to have recovered her fearsome effectiveness on clay: she destroyed the Japanese Naomi Osaka (sixteenth) 6-2 and 6-1.

© 2026 AFP