Battle in Melbourne

Australian Open: Sinner stumbles, limps—and wins

Jannik Sinner suffered massive physical problems.(Bild: AFP/DAVID GRAY)

In his third-round match at the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner not only had to contend with a strong performance from American Eliot Spizzirri, but also with the heat in Melbourne. The top star stumbled and limped, but still won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

The world number two from Italy defeated American Eliot Spizzirri in the third round on Saturday after 3 hours and 45 minutes, but reached his physical limits in the process. With temperatures reaching 38 degrees, the Melbourne champion of the past two years was at times barely able to walk.

Cramps for Jannik Sinner(Bild: AFP/DAVID GRAY)

With the score at 4-6, 6-3, 1-2, Sinner received treatment for the first time. But the massage on his legs did not seem to have any effect at first. The South Tyrolean was limping across the court. "I don't know what to do," the 24-year-old said to his coaching team. At 1:3, Sinner lost his serve before the match was interrupted due to the heat so that the roof over Rod Laver Arena could be closed. Sinner disappeared into the locker room to cool down.

Sinner grateful for interruption
"I was lucky with the heat rule today," Sinner said after his physical feat. "I had cramps everywhere. It started in my legs and then moved to my arms. I know I need to improve in that area," said the Italian, who was nevertheless proud of himself. "Tennis is a very mental game. I tried to stay calm and find a way. I succeeded in doing that."

I had cramps everywhere. It started with my legs and then moved to my arms.

Jannik Sinner

For several years now, the Australian Open has used the "Heat Stress Scale." This is a scale from one to five that takes into account not only the air temperature but also the direct heat radiation from the sun, humidity, and wind speed. If a value of 5.0 is reached, play must be suspended and the roofs of the large arenas must be closed.

Sinner superior under the roof
For Sinner, the rule was a lifesaver on Saturday. While play was suspended on the outdoor courts, Sinner still had physical problems under the closed roof and with the air conditioning running, but the four-time Grand Slam champion managed to get the difficulties under control to some extent. Last year, he had already suffered greatly from the heat in the round of 16 against Denmark's Holger Rune and only narrowly avoided elimination.

This time, Sinner suffered again, but also found a way against the strong Spizzirri (ATP 85). For the first time since the Vienna final on October 26 against Germany's Alexander Zverev and twelve commanding victories on the ATP Tour, Sinner dropped a set again.

Defending champion Keys also advances
Earlier,defending championMadison Keys had successfully survived her third-round match at Rod Laver Arena. The American, seeded number 9, defeated Karolina Pliskova from Czechia 6-3, 6-3.