Fourth-round Fox! Sinner sets Rune clash at Australian Open

Although Jannik Sinner booked his ticket to the fourth round at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win Saturday, the top seed and defending champion is seeking improvement in his game as he enters the second week.

The 23-year-old Italian delivered a typically rock-solid performance en route to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marcos Giron under the lights inside Rod Laver Arena. Sinner offered no let up from the baseline as he asserted his dominance and improved to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. 

“I am very happy to be in the next round,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “Every match has its own difficulties. Today I felt like he was very solid from the back of the court when he served well. I still have room to improve, but every win is great, especially in these conditions. As always, thank you so much for your support, it’s amazing to play night sessions here.

“Today the percentage of my net game was not really good, but I try to improve, it’s part of the game. Sometimes I feel things a little bit better, sometimes worse, that's normal. Trying to stay there mentally is the most important aspect. Hopefully in the next round I am able to raise my level, but I’m still very happy.”

The title defense is still alive 💥@janniksin reaches the round of 16 at the @AustralianOpen for the fourth time.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/JrCqrGUB2L

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 18, 2025

After dropping a set for the first time since early October against home wild card Tristan Schoolkate in the second round, Sinner locked in to earn an early service break against Giron in each set. Although he dropped serve in the final set, the 23-year-old saved six of seven break points, according to Infosys Stats.

Sinner’s two-hour, one-minute victory was the shortest of his three so far during his 2025 campaign in Melbourne, and will offer a welcome sense of confidence as he heads into the second week of a Grand Slam for a 15th time. The two-time major champion crucially won four consecutive points from 0/30 when serving for the second set, underpinned by two ferocious forehand winners.

Giron, the No. 46 in the PIF ATP Rankings, continued to make inroads on Sinner’s serve and was eventually rewarded with his first break to level the third set at 2-2. From there, however, Sinner regrouped to race across the line and become the third Italian man to reach the fourth round in Melbourne on four occasions after Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi.

Awaiting Sinner next in his quest for a third consecutive hard-court major title is World No. 13 Holger Rune, who rallied for a 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanovic.

The Serbian was on the cusp of victory when he served at 4-2, 30/0 in the fourth set, but Rune conjured some inspired shot-making to reel off four consecutive games and level the match. Struggling with cramp in the deciding set, Rune’s main objective was to shorten the points, and this paved the way for an entertaining end to the clash. The Dane outhit Kecmanovic 83 winners to 45 and crucially broke serve at 4-all in the final set to secure a three-hour, 27-minute victory.

“I have no idea [how I won], I could not have done it without the fantastic crowd,” Rune said in his on-court interview. “I was feeling super exhausted but you guys lifted me up, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“I was so tired so I needed to find a solution. I wasn’t able to run 15 balls side to side, so I had to go for it when I had the chance. Miomir had an amazing match, we played a couple of times before and he is just a big competitor, so credit to him.”

Sinner and Rune's Lexus ATP Head2Head series is evenly poised at 2-2, with the Italian claiming each of their two previous matches.