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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday January 19, 2025

 
Jannik Sinner

The defending champion was on the ropes for a while during his tussle with Holger Rune but he found a way to flip the scrip and emerge victorious on Day 9.

Photo Source: ROLEX

The word unflappable comes to mind when Jannik Sinner is patrolling a tennis court. The ginger-haired Italian moves methodically as if purposely trying to keep his pulse down and limit the amount of perspiration that his Nike gear is forced to wick away.

He keeps his celebrations muted and reins in the theatric, eschewing all the externalities in the name of efficiency and productivity.

Tennis Express

But on a balmy Day 9 at the Australian Open, Sinner couldn’t manage to maintain his imperviousness. His winning ways, however, stayed intact.

The defending champion and World No.1, hobbled by the heat and physical ailments, was pushed to the brink by Dane Holger Rune on Monday night in Rod Laver Arena, but eventually came away victorious, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"It was for sure very, very tough," Sinner told Jim Courier on court after the win. "I knew in my mind that also he had some very long matches before this one so I tried to stay there mentally."

With the hard-earned triumph, Sinner stretches his current winning streak to 18 victories, and runs his success against Top-20 opponents to ten. He will face either Alex de Minaur or Alex Michelsen in the quarterfinals.

It all started rather innocently. The 23-year-old was quick off the mark against 13th-ranked Rune in the pair’s fifth career meeting (2-2 prior to tonight’s tilt), capturing the break for 2-0 just ten points into the contest.

The first set was in the bag in just over 30 minutes, as Rune sprayed unforced errors and never managed to ruffle Sinner’s feathers.

The second set, however, was a different story. It hung in the balance for great length, as Sinner gradually began to succumb to the oppressive heat and Rune scored the late break for 5-3 and consolidated to level at a set apiece.

It was in the third set with Sinner serving at 1-1, 30-40 that the match hit its first inflection point. Sinner miraculously claimed a brilliant 37-stroke rally that had the crowd on its feet, and two points later saved a second break point with an ace. He closed out the game and pumped his fist, happy to let his opponent know that despite his physical difficulties, he wasn’t going anywhere.


At the ensuing changeover, the Italian ambled slowly to his chair, sat down and held an ice bag to his face, his hands uncontrollably shaking as he did. Sinner wasn’t the fresher of the two dogs in the fight, but he was just as determined as his adversary.

The struggle was real, however, and it continued. Sinner ended up having to leave the court two games later for a medical timeout (which lasted 11 and a half minutes). He led 3-2 in the third set at the time, having just saved a break point to hold.

Sinner would later say that he was ill prior to the match and skipped his warmup today because of it.

"This morning was a very strange morning," he said, not disclosing his actual illness, but hinting of its severity. "I didn't even warm up today [so that I could] go on court as fit as a I could be. I knew in my mind already before the match that I would struggle today."

A few games later, another inflection point helped turn the match in the Italian’s favor as Rune played a loose game and surrendered a break that gave Sinner the opportunity to serve for the third set with a 5-3 lead.

“It’s unfathomable some of the decision-making from Holger,” said Robbie Koenig, who was commentating the match, of the game.

To be fair, Rune’s choices may have been due to physical issues. He took a medical timeout moments later, and looked exhausted as his right knee and quad were rubbed by an on-court physio. The timeout forced Sinner to wait before he served for the set, the match clock showing two hours and 25 minutes elapsed.

But it didn't break Sinner's concentration. The top seed moved closer to the finish line moments later, finishing off a hold for a two sets to one lead.

Both players were granted a reprieve when a Sinner serve snapped part of the net early in the fourth set and a crew needed over 20 minutes to make the necessary repairs as players cooled off in the locker room. It appeared that the Italian made the most of the extra time as he ripped a forehand to break in the third game of the fourth set.

Now exhibiting far more positive body language, Sinner managed his nerves and took the fourth set by the scruff of the neck. He secured a double-break 5-2 lead when a Rune forehand spun wide and served out the satisfying victory to keep his title hopes alive.





 

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