![\"Jannik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c64443852d81386caf1d528cdcfcd31c.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nAustralian interest in the Italian Open is over after Jannik Sinner brushed aside the last Aussie standing on Rome’s clay.<\/p>\n
Alexei Popyrin’s promising start to the Italian Open was quickly rendered irrelevant by the world number one who thrashed the Sydneysider 6-2 6-0 in 65 minutes.<\/p>\n
Popyrin did not play poorly, but nor did he serve well, and he needed to to have any chance against a home favourite who last lost in February.<\/p>\n
That defeat in Doha was against Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk, the 26-seeded rising star Popyrin had beaten in the previous round. That followed a first round victory over local favourite and former top-six player Matteo Berrettini.<\/p>\n
But any confidence engendered by those victories soon drained away as Sinner began in imperious form.<\/p>\n
Popyrin was in trouble within four minutes of play beginning under sunshine and clear skies on the main Campo Centrale court.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jannik Sinner has not lost since February. (Getty Images: Ciancaphoto Studio\/Emmanuele Ciancaglini)<\/p>\n
Serving first 30-15 suddenly became 30-40, at which stage the Australian double-faulted to concede an immediate break.<\/p>\n
Popyrin had won the duo’s only previous meeting on clay, at the Madrid Masters, but that was in 2021 when the Italian was still in his teens. Sinner had beaten him twice on hard courts since.<\/p>\n
Having saved a break point on his next service game Popyrin, the only Australian of either gender to reach the last 32 and extend their stay in the Roman capital to a second week, had the chance to break back.<\/p>\n
But on break point his attempted passing shot just caught the top of the net with Sinner stranded.<\/p>\n
That was as good as it got. Popyrin did not force another break point as Sinner went on to extend his run of unbroken service games to 45.<\/p>\n
To test Sinner Popyrin needed his serve firing, but in windy conditions he never reached 50 per cent of first serves in and double-faulted again to hand Sinner a 4-1 lead. While the Sydneysider kept battling Sinner wrapped up the set in 39 minutes.<\/p>\n
The second set was even more one-sided, to the extent the home crowd began cheering Popyrin’s successes. Popyrin won five points, one of them on Sinner’s serve, and lasted 26 minutes.<\/p>\n
“It has been a very good performance from my side,” said Sinner, whose winning streak is now 25 matches.<\/p>\n
“It was very tricky conditions, he is a good server but his percentage wasn’t very high, which helped me.”<\/p>\n