Melbourne, Jan 20 (.) Jannik Sinner made a swift start to the defence of his Australian Open men’s singles title, progressing to the second round after a curtailed first-round match on Tuesday.
The Italian world No. 2 needed just over an hour on Rod Laver Arena before his opponent, France’s Hugo Gaston, was forced to retire, trailing 6-2, 6-1. Gaston pulled out before the start of the third set, bringing an abrupt end to the contest, according to Olympics.com.
“It’s not the way you want to win,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “He’s such a talented player. He has incredible touch and moves very well. I knew from the beginning that I had to play very high-level tennis.”
Gaston, ranked 93rd in the world, appeared distressed as he left the court. The Frenchman had only recently returned to competition after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury sustained in November, and was unable to continue despite receiving treatment during the match.
Sinner’s dominant display ensured he spent just one hour and eight minutes on court, conserving energy as the tournament progresses. In the second round, the defending champion will face either Australia’s James Duckworth or Croatia’s Dino Prižmić.
The win marked Sinner’s 15th consecutive victory at the Australian Open, underlining his strong affinity with the Melbourne Park courts. He is now bidding to become only the second man this century to claim three successive Australian Open titles, a feat achieved previously by Novak Djokovic.
Sinner’s composed performance in his opening outing suggested he remains firmly on track as one of the leading contenders for the title once again in Melbourne.
. VAN .