Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both secured dominant victories in the second round of the Australian Open, thus confirming their consistent form and ambitious goals at the first Grand Slam of the year.
Jannik Sinner continued his quest for a third consecutive Australian Open title in a convincing manner, easily defeating home favorite James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a match played on the afternoon of January 22nd.
The second seed displayed coolness and efficiency, extending his unbeaten 9-0 streak against Australian players at Grand Slam tournaments. Sinner faced virtually no obstacles in his service games, successfully neutralizing all three break points he encountered.
Sinner celebrates his victory in the second round of the Australian Open (Photo: Getty).
“Every match has been tough, so I’m very happy to be in the next round. Today I returned serves very well and served effectively, so I’m pleased with my performance. I want to thank the fans. I know I’m not Australian, but you all cheered fairly, thank you for that support,” Sinner shared in an on-court interview.
This victory propelled Sinner into the third round, where he will face American Eliot Spizzirri. Although he will only be able to meet his rival and world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final, the Italian star didn't forget to crack a joke when asked about his drop shots.
“I think we all know who has the best drop shot, of course it’s Carlos Alcaraz,” Sinner said of Alcaraz, the opponent with whom he has shared the last eight Grand Slam titles.
Currently ranked No. 2 in the ATP, Sinner is aiming for a historic milestone: becoming the second male player in the Open Era, after Novak Djokovic, to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.
Djokovic maintains high consistency at the Australian Open (Photo: Getty).
Novak Djokovic displayed impressive form, easily securing a convincing victory in the second round of the Australian Open on the afternoon of January 22nd. The ten-time champion defeated Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, continuing his quest to defend his title.
This was Djokovic's second match since winning his 101st ATP title in Athens in November. The 38-year-old moved gracefully and executed smooth shots throughout the afternoon, a positive sign for the Serbian star's form in the early stages of the tournament.
Sharing his thoughts on the playing conditions, Djokovic said: “It felt like playing in two completely different tournaments, playing at night in the first round and during the day today, especially with the wind. This year the wind seemed stronger than any year I’ve ever played in Australia. I had to adjust and adapt, and also face an opponent with a very powerful serve. But overall everything was fine. I’m happy with how I moved and hit the ball.”
Djokovic reached the milestone of 100 wins at the Australian Open in the opening round, needing seven set points to close out the first set which lasted 47 minutes. He completely dominated the baseline rallies and was particularly pleased with his superior serving ability, winning 86% (43/50) of his first serve points. When faced with two break points in the first service game of the second set, Djokovic forced his opponent to make forehand return errors. Before the match, Maestrelli had called the encounter with the 24-time Grand Slam champion "one of the most exciting things of my life."
Djokovic happily celebrates his victory (Photo: Getty).
Djokovic is just one match away from reaching the milestone of 400 Grand Slam victories. If he overcomes his next opponent, either Botic van de Zandschulp or Shang Juncheng, he will become the first player in history to achieve 400 Grand Slam wins. Van de Zandschulp caused a shock by defeating Djokovic at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 last year, thus leveling their head-to-head record at 1-1. Djokovic has never faced Shang Juncheng before.
Competing in his 21st Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Djokovic was drawn into a bracket where he could face Italian player Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
In other news, Musetti defeated compatriot Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to replicate his best performance at the first Grand Slam of the season. The fifth seed created 23 break point opportunities and successfully converted six. The 23-year-old will face either the 31st seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Czech player Tomas Machac in the next round.