Jannik Sinner cruised into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday after his opponent retired injured, with the two-time defending champion firmly in control as the Italian second seed led France’s Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-1 before the match was called off after 68 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Sinner Awaits Next Test While Expressing Sympathy for Injured Opponent
Sinner will next face either Australian qualifier James Duckworth or Croatia’s Dino Prizmic, with the world number two acknowledging after the match that the victory came in unfortunate circumstances. “I could see his serve wasn’t at full pace. It’s never how you want to finish a match, but he’s a very talented player,” Sinner said, adding that he knew he had to maintain a high level and stay aggressive. “I’m very happy to be back here — it’s a special place for me.”
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Early Scare Gives Way to Commanding Display from Defending Champion
The Italian overcame an early wobble when he fell 40-0 down in his opening service game before firing three aces to hold, quickly settling into his rhythm against the 93rd-ranked Frenchman. From there Sinner dominated, sealing the opening set in 37 minutes before Gaston, who received treatment between sets, was unable to continue as Sinner tightened his control of the contest.
Sinner swept through the second set before Gaston opted to end the match, and a third successive Australian Open title would see the Italian join Novak Djokovic as the only men in the Open era to achieve a Melbourne hat-trick.
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