Melbourne, Jan 18 (IANS): World No.1 Jannik Sinner outclassed American Marcos Giron in straight-sets to move to the fourth round and kept his title defense hopes alive at the Australian Open on Saturday.
The Italian edged past Marcos 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 under the lights inside Rod Laver Arena. However, the 23-year-old is seeking improvement in his game as he enters the second week.
Sinner offered no let up from the baseline as he asserted his dominance and improved to 2-0 in their ATP head-to-head series.
“I am very happy to be in the next round. Every match has its own difficulties. Today I felt like he was very solid from the back of the court when he served well. I still have room to improve, but every win is great, especially in these conditions. As always, thank you so much for your support, it’s amazing to play night sessions here,” Sinner said in his on-court interview.
“Today the percentage of my net game was not really good, but I try to improve, it’s part of the game. Sometimes I feel things a little bit better, sometimes worse, that's normal. Trying to stay there mentally is the most important aspect. Hopefully, in the next round I am able to raise my level, but I’m still very happy," he added.
After dropping a set for the first time since early October, Sinner rebounded with a commanding performance to defeat home wild card Tristan Schoolkate in the second round and secure an early service break in each set against Giron. Despite losing his serve in the final set, the Italian saved six of seven break points, according to Infosys Stats.
The win, Sinner’s quickest of his current Australian Open campaign so far, boosts his confidence as he advances to the second week of a Grand Slam for the 15th time. A pivotal moment came when Sinner, serving for the second set, rallied from 0/30 to win four consecutive points, including two powerful forehand winners.
Ranked No. 46 in the ATP rankings, Giron applied consistent pressure on Sinner’s serve and earned his first break to level the third set at 2-2. However, Sinner quickly regrouped, closing out the match with a strong finish. With this victory, Sinner joins Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi as the only Italian men to reach the fourth round in Melbourne four times.
Sinner, a two-time Grand Slam champion, now turns his attention to defending his title. He will face the winner of the third-round match between Miomir Kecmanovic and Holger Rune in the next round.