MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Jannik Sinner may have narrowly escaped elimination in the third round of the Australian Open, but he quickly regained momentum with a straight-sets victory against fellow Italian Luciano Daldelli on Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals of his ninth consecutive Grand Slam event.
The two-time defending champion had a tough time battling extreme heat and cramps while defeating No. 85-ranked Elliott Spizzilli on Saturday afternoon, only starting to find control once the roof was closed during the third set.
Sinner later acknowledged that the timing of the heatwave worked in his favor, as he was able to take an eight-minute pause to close the roof and an additional 10-minute cooling break between the third and fourth sets to recover.
He appeared to be in control until Daldelli raised the intensity during the third set in a cooler evening match. Despite missing a match point on Daldelli’s serve in the 10th game, second-seeded Sinner ultimately won 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
Daldelli managed to save two match points on her own serve and started strong in the tiebreak, winning the first two points. However, play was paused for several minutes due to a crying baby in the crowd at Margaret Court Arena.
No further points were won by Daldelli after the interruption, and Sinner seized the next seven points to close out the match in 2 hours and 9 minutes.
He improved his undefeated record against fellow Italians on tour to 18-0 and is set to face either No. 8 Ben Shelton or No. 12 Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals.
“It was very challenging. We’re good friends off the court,” Sinner said. “I had a few opportunities to break in the third set but couldn’t convert. The set got tight, so I was very relieved to win in straight sets.”
Sinner served 19 aces, a personal best, without a single double fault, and credited his offseason work on his serve for the improved performance.
He also mentioned small tactical adjustments he’s made, like approaching the net more often and varying his style of play.
In a crucial third-set hold, Sinner switched up the rally with a forehand drop shot and crouched low to save a break point, maintaining his serve and volley strategy.
“There’s still room to get better, but I’m happy to be back,” he said. “My serve is definitely more consistent now. I’m trying to approach the net more and make my game less predictable.”
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Fan Take: While tennis and basketball may seem worlds apart, Sinner’s gritty resilience and strategic adaptability underscore traits vital to any athlete’s success. Basketball fans can appreciate how mental toughness and skill refinement, exemplified here, are fundamental concepts that transcend sports and inspire competitive excellence.
