ATP Tour

Sinner snuffs out late Darderi push to reach Australian Open QFs

Jannik Sinner negotiated a brief moment of late uncertainty on Monday at the Australian Open, but ultimately asserted his authority to defeat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) and move into the quarter-finals in Melbourne.

The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings struck with authority, pairing relentless precision with a clinical edge that largely kept doubt and drama at bay. Having struggled with cramping against Eliot Spizzirri in the previous round — a match in which he later admitted he “got lucky” with a timely roof closure — Sinner escaped a nervy finish against Darderi, as both his momentum and physical condition briefly threatened to fade.

“It was very difficult. We are good friends off the court, that’s also a small difficulty to put away,” Sinner said of Darderi. “In the third set I had a couple of break chances, [but] I couldn't use them… Then I got very tight, so I’m very happy that I closed it in three sets.”

Simply too good 🔥@janniksin defeats compatriot Darderi to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time.@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/LVdNyAZeO4

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 26, 2026

In his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Darderi, Sinner dictated from the baseline with clean timing and sharp serving. Darderi briefly threatened late in the third set when he produced a surge of aggressive baseline play to earn four break points at 4-4 and led 2/0 in the tie-break. It loomed as a potential turning point, but Sinner shut the door emphatically, winning seven straight points to close out the victory.

Next up, Sinner will face Ben Shelton or Casper Ruud as he continues his bid to join Novak Djokovic as the only men to lift three consecutive Australian Open titles. The pair now sit just one win apiece away from a potential blockbuster semi-final clash.

With his two-hour, nine-minute victory over Darderi, Sinner advanced to his fourth Australian Open quarter-final, drawing level with Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori and Stefanos Tsitsipas for the fourth-most appearances at that stage among active players.

Sinner’s blend of power and efficiency proved decisive in his straight-sets victory, allowing him to close out the match without inviting further questions around his fitness. He finished with 46 winners, including 19 aces, and remained perfect against his countrymen, extending to an 18-0 tour-level record against fellow Italians.

"We put a lot of work in, especially with the serve,” Sinner added. “We changed the motion a bit and I feel for sure a little bit more confident. There is still room to improve, which is normal, but I’m very happy with how I have come back in the new season. At the end of last season, I served really well, [and] it’s much more stable.”