Daijiworld Media Network – Melbourne
Melbourne, Jan 20: Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday night after France’s Hugo Gaston retired due to illness while trailing in their first-round match.
Sinner was in complete control at Rod Laver Arena, leading 6-2, 6-1, when Gaston, who had called for medical attention after the opening set, was forced to retire during the second set.
“I saw that he was not serving with a very high pace, especially in the second set, but it’s not a way you want to win the match,” Sinner said after the contest. “He’s such a talented player, so I knew I had to play at a very high level and be as aggressive as possible. I’m very happy to be back here.”
The Italian, who now leads Gaston 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head record, is chasing a rare milestone — becoming only the second man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, after Novak Djokovic achieved the feat in 2011-13 and 2019-21.
In the second round, the 24-year-old will take on Australian wild card James Duckworth, who edged past lucky loser Dino Prizmic in a five-set battle, winning 7-6(4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Sinner faced early pressure in the opening game, going down 0/40 on serve, but recovered calmly to save all three break points. According to Infosys Stats, he did not face another break point and sealed the win in just 68 minutes.
“I felt very prepared and I’m happy with how I started today,” Sinner said. “There was some tension, but this is the time to enjoy it. We practise for moments like this.”
Meanwhile, ninth seed Taylor Fritz also booked his place in the second round after a tough four-set victory over Valentin Royer. Fritz prevailed 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in a three-hour, two-minute encounter at Melbourne Park.
“The first two sets were a battle, it was physical,” Fritz said. “I’m really happy with how I rebounded after the second set. I played really good tennis in the third and fourth and felt calm and confident.”
Fritz, whose best Australian Open result was a quarter-final finish in 2024, will next face Vit Kopriva.