Jannik Sinner ‘lucky’ to progress after feeling the heat at Australian Open

Jannik Sinner gratefully grasped a large slice of luck, fighting off cramp and American Eliot Spizzirri to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The two-time defending champion was in big trouble early in the third set on a scorching Rod Laver Arena as his legs seized up but, at the same moment, the tournament’s heat stress scale hit five, triggering the closing of the roof and the suspension of play on outside courts.

Sinner continued to look uncomfortable but, out of the punishing sun and with air conditioning cooling the arena, he battled to a 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory.

“I struggled physically a bit today,” said the relieved second seed. “I got lucky with the heat rule and the roof closing. I took my time and as the time passed I felt better and better.”

Organisers had pushed the start of play on the main courts forward by an hour with extreme heat forecast of up to 40 degrees for the first time this fortnight, meaning the Italian took to Rod Laver Arena just after midday.

Sinner is known to find such conditions difficult – last year here his only struggle came in the fourth round against Holger Rune when it was hot, while his last defeat, in Shanghai in October, saw him retire with cramp against Tallon Griekspoor.

Having recovered from losing the opening set to Spizzirri, a 24-year-old debutant ranked 85, Sinner became racked by cramp in the fourth game of the third set and Spizzirri broke to lead 3-1.

At the same moment, the heat stress scale – which measures air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed – ticked from 4.9 to five, providing relief for Sinner and prompting a wry smile from Spizzirri.

“I started with the leg, then it got into the arm,” said Sinner. “I was cramping a bit all over.

“This is the sport, I know this is an area where I need to improve. Tennis is a very mental game, I just tried to stay as calm as possible.”

Things were not straightforward thereafter but Sinner, who was also helped by a 10-minute stoppage between the third and fourth sets, found a way through.

Spizzirri rated the conditions far from the worst he had played in, and said of the timing: “I smiled a little bit when the heat rule went into effect.

“I wouldn’t say he got saved by it. He’s too good of a player to say that but, at the same time, it was challenging timing, and that’s just the nature of the sport.”

Sinner will next face compatriot Luciano Darderi, with three Italian men through to the last 16 here for the first time.

Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti coped with the heat a lot better than Sinner, battling to a 5-7 6-4 6-2 5-7 6-2 victory over Tomas Machac after four hours and 27 minutes.

Play was suspended completely on matches without roofs just after 2.30pm, finally resuming nearly five hours later.

That came too late, though, for British 16-year-old Hollie Smart, who retired in tears from her first-round match in the girls’ singles leading Japan’s Azuna Ichioka 7-5 6-7 (7) 3-2 after becoming completely racked with cramp.

Smart was attended to by medics for several minutes after the match, with ice placed on her body, and she was then able to walk off court.

British doubles player Olivia Nicholls was in the third set of her second-round clash alongside Tereza Mihalikova against Australians Storm Hunter and Maya Joint when play was suspended, with the pair eventually losing 6-2 3-6 6-3.

Having initially been told play could resume from 5.30pm, it was not until 7.15pm that conditions became playable.

Nicholls told the Press Association: “It was difficult. I guess it was the same for everybody but to have to keep mentally preparing yourself to go out there every 30 minutes was quite taxing. I think I’m going to sleep well tonight.

“We also had it in Wuhan at the end of last year that we had the extreme heat rule come in but I think the Australian sun and heat felt more intense, so probably the most intense weather I’ve ever played in.”