Defending champion Jannik Sinner powered into the U.S. Open semifinals after defeating fellow Italian and 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti, 6–1, 6–4, 6–2, in the tournament’s first-ever all-Italian men’s Grand Slam quarterfinal on Wednesday.

The world number one, who also won the Australian Open earlier this year, extended his unbeaten streak on hardcourts to 26 matches. Sinner will next face Canada’s 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final.

Sinner described his performance as “solid” and thanked the fans for staying late into the night to support the match. The 23-year-old acknowledged his close ties with Musetti, as both have represented Italy in the Davis Cup, but stressed that friendship had to be set aside once play began.

From the opening game, Sinner’s heavy baseline hitting gave him control, racing to a 5-0 lead before Musetti managed to win his first game, drawing loud applause from the crowd. That proved to be Musetti’s only highlight of the opening set.

Sinner later praised the atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, calling it the “best stage” for night matches. “Every player in the semifinals is playing incredible tennis,” he said. “This is the last Grand Slam of the year, and it means a lot to me to be here.”