Melbourne: Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame a brief late wobble to defeat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) and book his place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Monday.
The No. 2 player in the ATP Rankings was largely in control on Margaret Court Arena, pairing relentless baseline precision with authoritative serving to keep doubt at bay. Any questions surrounding his fitness—after struggling with cramping in the previous round—surfaced only momentarily during a tense closing stretch.
Sinner cruised through the opening two sets before Darderi raised his level in the third, forcing a set-long battle on serve. The challenge peaked when Darderi earned four break points at 4-4 and later surged to a 2-0 lead in the tie-break, threatening to push the match further. Sinner responded decisively, reasserting his dominance by winning seven straight points to close out the contest.
In their first tour-level meeting, Sinner dictated from the baseline with clean timing and depth, finishing the two-hour, nine-minute match with 46 winners, including 19 aces. His straight-sets win also preserved his perfect record against Italian opponents, improving it to 18-0.
The victory marked Sinner’s fourth Australian Open quarterfinal, drawing him level with Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori and Stefanos Tsitsipas for the fourth-most appearances at that stage among active players.
Next, Sinner will face Ben Shelton or Casper Ruud as he continues his pursuit of history, aiming to join Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three consecutive Australian Open titles in the Open Era.
Swiatek Cruises Into Australian Open Quarterfinals
Melbourne: In women’s singles action, No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek stormed into her 14th career Grand Slam quarterfinal with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory over Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on Rod Laver Arena.
Unfazed by a partisan home crowd, the six-time major champion swept through the opening set without dropping a game. Inglis briefly lifted the atmosphere by breaking serve early in the second set, but Swiatek swiftly reasserted control with a run of four consecutive games.
Showcasing her all-court arsenal, Swiatek mixed aggressive baseline play with deft touch at the net, closing out the contest in 73 minutes. She will next face No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina in a high-profile quarterfinal, with Swiatek holding a narrow 6-5 head-to-head lead, though Rybakina won their only previous Australian Open meeting in 2023.
Source: ATP, WTA
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