Jannik Sinner’s biggest challenge on Tuesday night at the Australian Open came right at the start. The two-time defending champion found himself in an unexpected predicament, facing triple break point in the opening game against Hugo Gaston, a diminutive yet tenacious French left-hander.
However, Sinner quickly regained control, needing to hit a groundstroke on just one of the next five points to escape trouble. The Italian delivered three aces and an unreturned serve, while Gaston faltered with a volley, allowing Sinner to cruise through the match. His newly refined ball toss, lower and closer to his body, proved to be a game-changer.
Sinner won the first-round match decisively, leading 6-2, 6-1 after just 68 minutes before Gaston retired due to injury. Despite the victory, Sinner acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the win. “It’s not the way you want to win the match, but he’s such a talented player,” Sinner remarked. “He has incredible touch and moves very well, so I knew from the beginning that I had to play very high-level tennis.”
Sinner’s Evolution and Rivalry
This performance was Sinner’s opportunity to make a statement following impressive displays by his chief rivals, world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic. Both players had progressed in straight sets in their respective matches.
Sinner has been on a journey of transformation since last year’s US Open final, which he lost to Alcaraz. He openly admitted to being “very predictable” in that match and has since worked on making significant changes to his game. One of the key areas of focus has been his serve, which underwent further reconstruction to enhance reliability and rhythm.
“I felt like the serve was, and still is, a shot where I need to improve. It’s the only shot we have where we can do everything by ourselves,” Sinner explained.
His efforts have paid off, with his first-serve percentage consistently high and his serve rated as the tour’s best across several key metrics over the past year.
Inglis’ Emotional Triumph
Meanwhile, Australian Maddison Inglis emerged victorious in a gripping encounter against compatriot Kimberly Birrell on John Cain Arena. Inglis triumphed 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (9-11), 6-4 in a match that lasted exactly three hours.
Inglis was visibly emotional during her on-court interview, acknowledging the difficulty of playing against a close friend. “It’s really hard to play such a good friend,” she said of Birrell. “The last few days have been a bit stressful. I absolutely adore her, so it’s really hard to see her on the other side [of the net].”
The world No.168, who advanced through qualifying, expressed her delight at reaching the second round. “It means the world to reach the second round,” Inglis said, praising Birrell as “the queen of comebacks.”
Looking Ahead
Sinner’s next challenge will be against Australia’s James Duckworth, who secured his spot in the next round after a marathon five-set victory over Croatian prospect Dino Prizmic. The Italian will need to maintain his high level of play as the tournament progresses.
As for Inglis, her emotional win sets the stage for a promising run, with fans eagerly anticipating her next performance. The Australian Open continues to deliver thrilling matches and unexpected twists, keeping tennis enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.
Stay tuned for more coverage as the tournament unfolds, with day four promising even more excitement and drama on the courts.
