Melbourne, Jan 24 (.) Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled past American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri in a gruelling third-round clash at the Australian Open on Saturday, holding a slender lead after three sets.
The world No. 2 recovered from physical discomfort and a mid-match interruption to edge ahead 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after nearly three hours on court at Rod Laver Arena, as per the ATP official website.
Spizzirri, playing just his first Australian Open main-draw match and making his maiden third-round appearance at a Grand Slam, stunned the Melbourne crowd by taking the opening set and then racing to a 3-1 lead in the third. During that phase, Sinner appeared hampered by cramp, struggling to move freely and push off on serve.
However, momentum shifted when play was suspended at around 2:35 pm local time under the tournament’s heat rule, allowing the Rod Laver Arena roof to be closed. The brief stoppage proved decisive, as Sinner regrouped after the restart and clawed his way back into the contest to secure the third set.
The opening three sets lasted two hours and 54 minutes, with Sinner committing 46 unforced errors, according to Infosys statistics. Despite that, the Italian proved more clinical on key points, converting six of his nine break-point opportunities, compared to Spizzirri’s five from 14 chances.
Spizzirri, a former University of Texas standout, was facing a Top-10 opponent for the first time in his career. He missed five break points in the third set alone, a lapse that allowed Sinner to regain control despite his physical struggles.
Following the completion of the third set, both players were granted a mandatory 10-minute break under the heat policy before resuming the match.
. VAN .