Jannik Sinner’s procession through the draw in Madrid has adopted an air of tantalising inevitability after the world number one dismantled qualifier Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3 in a breezy 77 minutes to reach the last sixteen. The Italian has now strung together 19 consecutive tour-level victories and 24 straight at Masters 1000 events, a streak that inclines him ever closer to becoming the first man to capture five such titles in succession. Viewed from Rome, the serene scoreline—built on 71 percent first serves, seven aces and a miserly nine unforced errors—suggests a player utterly at ease with the burden of favouritism, especially with Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal removing his most natural challenger on the surface.

Sinner himself noted his improved service under pressure, a statement of gathering authority that will trouble anyone left in the field.