When Jannik Sinner plays in Rome: popping up a precedent with Sebastian Ofner

At 7 p.m. Saturday on the Foro Italico’s Centrale for Jannik Sinner’s debut at the Internazionali d’Italia. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and streamed on Sky Go and NOW. Facing the Italian will be Sebastian Ofner, Austrian world number 82, who has only faced him once in his career. The previous one was in 2019, at the Ortisei Challenger. A young Sinner, newly anointed champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals and already considered one of the most promising talents in world tennis, overcame Ofner in the final to win the trophy just a few kilometers from home.

Now, seven years later, the two meet again on the Foro Italico stage. Sinner arrives in Rome as an absolute ruler of the Masters 1000: in fact, he has strung together five consecutive wins in the category and is on the hunt for a historic sixth victory. Entering the draw directly in the second round, the Italian number one will make his debut against Ofner on Saturday, May 9, in one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.

The Austrian, on the eve of the challenge, made no secret of his confidence and ambition: “It will be a very difficult match, he has only lost two matches this year. I will try to play my tennis and take advantage of every opportunity. I have to think I can beat him, otherwise I couldn’t take the court. One of the keys could be the serve.”

The challenge will be viewable on Sky Sports channels and streamed on Sky Go, NOW TV and Tennis TV. For Sinner, moreover, the Roman tournament also represents an extraordinary opportunity to update the record book: the South Tyrolean is coming off 28 consecutive Masters 1000 victories and, with four wins at the Foro Italico, he would surpass Novak Djokovic’s record, which stands at 31.