Jannik Sinner (24 years old, world number 2) had an extremely difficult match in the 3rd round in Melbourne against the American Eliot Spizzirri (24 years old, WTA number 85). The Italian felt sick from the heat, threw up in the towel between games and suffered from cramps.
However, Sinner managed to come back and win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after 3 hours and 42 minutes of play. Advice from his coach, Darren Cahill, and help from the organizers at critical moments helped him stay on the field and avoid an early elimination.
The match did not start as planned for Jannik Sinner
Eliot Spizzirri started the match with energy, taking advantage of a more hesitant debut from Jannik Sinner. The American quickly got a break and won the first set 6-4, while the Italian already looked affected by cramps and fatigue. The situation got complicated in the second set when a visibly exhausted Sinner threw up on the towel during breaks between games.
Despite the physical problems, Sinner kept his composure and managed to win the second set 6-3, leveling the overall score. The third set became a true test of endurance, in the context in which the Italian was close to the limit, requesting the help of the physiotherapist and frequently leaning on the racket between points. Still, he continued to play, cutting down on mistakes.
Victory with thorns
At one point, visibly overwhelmed, Jannik Sinner confessed to his coach, Darren Cahill: “I don’t know what to do!”.
Cahill encouraged him to stay on the field regardless of how he felt, and the strategy paid off. At the score of 3-1, the organizers temporarily stopped all matches due to the excessive heat, continuing only on the covered fields. This break gave the Italian the necessary respite to stabilize and rethink his tactics.
Sinner began shortening the points, attacking consistently and avoiding long shifts that would have exhausted his body. A crucial break in the middle of the set propelled him into the lead, winning the set 6-4 and turning the tide of the match after a difficult start.
The fourth set started favorably for Spizzirri, who took a 3-1 lead, but Sinner stepped up, took control of the game and closed out the set 6-4, claiming victory in a tense and dramatic match.
