Sinner beats the heat and Spizzirri

It is forty degrees in Melbourne. And Yannik Sinner, who was born in South Tyrol, suffers them all. With cramps that start in his calves and go all the way up his arms. It is feared he might end up like last year in Shanghai, when he was carried off the court by his arms. But the number two in the world rankings has character as well as talent and discipline, and he proved it once again by advancing to the round of 16 at the Australian Open thanks to a comeback victory over Eliot Spizzirri, beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a first set he had lost outright.

"I didn't play my best, but I gave the best I had," commented the South Tyrolean champion at the end of the match. Giving him respite, allowing him to catch his breath, was the extreme heat policy adopted by the tournament, which during the third set - when the heat scale reached level 5 - interrupted the match for several minutes to allow the roof to close. "I was lucky with the roof closure, as time went on I felt better," admits Sinner, who is also credited with holding his own in the face of challenges. "I played a really great match, I showed that I can have a great season. I struggled physically," he said, already looking ahead. "It's sport, I have to improve here as well. I am pushing myself in the right direction, tennis is a mental sport and I am here to beat myself at every point," Sinner promised. "In tournaments like this you always find difficult matches. I am happy, we will need the right mentality in the next matches. Now I have to recover," he concluded

Eliot Spizzirri, from Texas, 85th in the Atp rankings, unceremoniously raced Yannik Sinner for almost four hours, bringing him to within a break point. But at the Rod Laver Arena, the South Tyrolean came out on top once again, claiming his 18th consecutive victory, the third longest winning streak of his career. He now prepares to take on Luciano Darderi, who overcame Russian Karen Khachanov in four sets, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Also still in the running was Lorenzo Musetti for a record edition for Italian tennis, with three Azzurri in the round of 16. The Tuscan beat the Czech Tomas Machac in five sets, 5-7, 6-4 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. He will now face Taylor Fritz.