Sinner wins 19th straight Grand Slam match and returns to semifinals

PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner's overpowering run through the French Open moved into the semifinals with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 victory over No. 62 Alexander Bublik on Wednesday.

Sinner, who lost to champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final four at Roland-Garros a year ago, needed just 1 hour, 49 minutes to advance against Bublik, who upset No. 5 Jack Draper in the previous round.

“He’s playing fast. He’s playing smart,” Bublik said. “He’s in another dimension with all the aspects of the game.”

Sinner’s self-assessment was a little more even-keeled.

“Felt like today, I was very, very consistent from the back of the court,” he said.

Not quite much of a boast.

Not only hasn't Sinner ceded a set yet, he only has dropped a total of 36 games through five matches over the past 1 1/2 weeks.

And Sinner played clean-as-can-be tennis against Bublik — who was making his major quarterfinal debut — with 31 winners to just 13 unforced errors.

Next for Sinner is a semifinal Friday against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

The other men's semifinal will be No. 2 Alcaraz against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti. They won their quarterfinals Tuesday.

Sinner, 23, is a three-time Grand Slam champion. That includes last year's U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open, so his unbeaten streak at majors is now at 19 matches.

He's also won his last 26 sets at those events.

Over Sinner's last nine tournaments, dating to last August, he is 46-2, with both defeats coming against Alcaraz.

Sinner and Musetti give Italy two men in the semifinals at the same major for just the second time — the other was in 1960.

So Sinner was asked about the possibility of an all-Italian final in Paris on Sunday.

“We support each other very well. We know each other, obviously, much better now, because of playing the Davis Cup together, and we have a good relationship off the court,” Sinner said. “So let’s see. It would be nice, of course. It’s something I believe we would like to make happen.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis