Naomi Osaka’s first two matches at the Australian Open have had everyone talking about her fashion, her handshakes, and of course, the fact that she’s now advancing to the third round. Osaka will face Australian Maddison Inglis in a match that will be broadcast in the U.S. in the wee hours of the morning Saturday. The match will begin no earlier than 5 a.m. ET, after the previous match between Novak Djokovic and Botic van de Zandschulp concludes.
Third round Australian Open tournament coverage will air on ESPN2, and the entire tournament is available to stream for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about the Osaka vs. Inglis match at the 2026 Australian Open.
Advertisement
How to watch Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open:
Date: Saturday, January 24
Time (estimated): not before 5 a.m. ET
Location: Rod Laver Arena
TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more
When is the Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis match at the 2026 Australian Open?
The third round match between Naomi Osaka and Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open will be Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.
Naomi Osaka vs. Maddison Inglis match start time:
The match between Naomi Osaka and Maddison Inglis will start at no earlier than 5 a.m. ET. The match will begin once the previous match between Novak Djokovic and Botic van de Zandschulp is over. The women’s match will be available on ESPN Unlimited and ESPN2.
Advertisement
Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the Australian Open will air on ESPN, with the entire tournament streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. Select tournament coverage will also air on ESPN2, before moving to ESPN for the semifinals and beyond.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
Advertisement
Saturday, January 17
-
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 18
-
(Day 1) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 19
-
(Day 2) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20
-
(Day 3) Men’s and Women’s 1st Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
-
(Day 4) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22
-
(Day 5) Men’s and Women’s 2nd Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23
-
(Day 6) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
-
(Day 7) Men’s and Women’s 3rd Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 25
-
(Day 8) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 26
-
(Day 9) Men’s and Women’s 4th Round: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27
-
(Day 10) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
-
(Day 11) Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals: 3:00 a.m.
-
(Day 12) Women’s Semifinals: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 29
-
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 8:00 p.m.
Friday, January 30
-
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
-
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
-
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Who is playing in the 2026 Australian Open?
The top 10 seeded players for the singles draws are listed below.
Men’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Jannik Sinner
3. Alexander Zverev
4. Novak Djokovic
5. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Women’s singles seeds for the Australian Open 2026
1. Aryna Sabalenka
Advertisement
2. Iga Swiatek
3. Amanda Anisimova
4. Coco Gauff
5. Elena Rybakina
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.
More ways to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
49ers QB great John Brodie, former NFL MVP, dies at 90
Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie died Friday at the age of 90, the team announced.
Brodie is a 49ers Hall of Famer and one of the most revered players in team history after spending his entire 17-year NFL career with the team. He won the NFL MVP award in 1970, made two Pro Bowls, earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in 1965 and led the league in passing touchdowns in three seasons.
“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers owner John York said in a statement. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment towards his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.
“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”
In 1957, Brodie was drafted third overall out of Stanford, where he was a consensus All-American in 1956. After splitting time with Y.A. Tittle for the first four seasons of his career, Brodie became the full-time starter when Tittle was traded to the New York Giants.
Advertisement
He played until 1973 but didn’t experience the same team success as other legendary 49ers QBs like Joe Montana and Steve Young, as the 49ers didn’t win their first Super Bowl title until 1982. Yet Brodie did lead the 49ers to three consecutive playoff appearances from 1970 to ‘72.
Brodie is held in high regard among fans because of his longevity, productivity and the fact that he was born and raised in the Bay Area. The team retired his jersey No. 12 in 1973. In addition to being part of the 49ers Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2009, Brodie was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Advertisement
Brodie finished his career with 31,548 passing yards, 214 touchdowns and 224 interceptions. He’s second in franchise passing yardage behind only Montana. And only Jerry Rice played more games for the 49ers than Brodie’s 201.
Jets reportedly part ways with handful of assistants, as Aaron Glenn gears up for Year 2 staff makeover
In many ways, the New York Jets are back to the drawing board this offseason, their second with Aaron Glenn as head coach.
Following a 3-14 campaign, they’re parting ways with quarterbacks coach Charles London, pass game coordinator Scott Turner, defensive line coach Eric Washington and linebackers coach Aaron Curry, as well as defensive assistants Roosevelt Williams and Alonso Escalante, according to multiple reports.
Advertisement
Glenn will make over his staff in Year 2, looking to restore success to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since it reached back-to-back AFC championship games during the 2009 and ’10 seasons.
The Jets are still in need of a viable, long-term quarterback. They rolled the dice with Justin Fields this season, and the dual threat was plagued by the same consistency issues in the passing game that he experienced with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.
Glenn ultimately benched Fields for Tyrod Taylor nine starts in, and a combination of Taylor and undrafted rookie Brady Cook finished the season. Altogether, the group threw only two more touchdown passes (15) than interceptions (13).
The Jets finished dead last in the NFL with 140.3 passing yards per game. For reference, the Cleveland Browns were 31st in that department, with 165.1 yards per contest through the air.
Advertisement
New York has the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Jets and other quarterback-needy teams, they’re faced with a relatively thin crop of prospects at the position, especially now that Oregon’s Dante Moore is returning to school for the 2026 season.
Not only will the Jets have to come up with a better plan under center, but they’ll also have to create more havoc on defense next season. Glenn, who picked off 41 passes as an NFL cornerback and oversaw a Detroit Lions defense that was top-10 in takeaways his final season as defensive coordinator, is well aware.
New York forced a measly four turnovers this season. Its division rival, the New England Patriots, generated five last week while advancing to the AFC championship. The Jets also became the first NFL team to finish a season without a single defensive interception, at least since those were first counted as a stat in 1933.
After New York ranked 29th in scoring offense and 31st in scoring defense, it’s no surprise Glenn is reportedly making staff changes on both sides of the ball.
Transfer portal: Former Colorado LT Jordan Seaton, once one of Deion Sanders’ top recruits, is headed to LSU
Former Colorado left tackle Jordan Seaton announced Friday night on Instagram that he’s transferring to LSU. Seaton was the Rivals industry ranking’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting class and one of Colorado’s highest-rated signees in program history.
Deion Sanders reeled him in, and Seaton wound up starting 22 games as the Buffaloes’ blind-side protector over the past two seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Seaton will now join Lane Kiffin at LSU, where the former Ole Miss head coach is looking to return the Tigers to the College Football Playoff after a six-season drought.
Advertisement
Seaton, a Washington, D.C., native and a product of IMG Academy in Florida, has two years of eligibility remaining. That said, he’s considered a potential first-round prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
After arriving at Colorado as a five-star prospect, he immediately found his way into the starting lineup, where he blocked for current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Seaton was sidelined for the final three games of his sophomore season, but he still earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. In his nine games during the 2025 campaign, he allowed only seven pressures and two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Along the way, he went six straight games without giving up a single pressure, per PFF.
Advertisement
It’s worth noting, though, that in both of his seasons at Colorado, the Buffs’ rushing attack ranked outside the top 100 nationally.
Still, his skill set is undeniable, as was his value in the portal. He’s LSU’s latest pickup, and he’s poised to block for former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Kevin Durant’s 32 points lead Rockets to road win over Pistons
Kevin Durant scored 32 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a 111-104 road win over the Detroit Pistons in a matchup of top NBA playoff contenders on Friday night.
Durant reached the 30-point mark for the second consecutive game and the third time in his past five games.
Advertisement
After the two teams were tied at 52 at halftime, the Rockets outscored the Pistons 34-20 in the third quarter with Reed Sheppard tallying 10 points during the surge.
Detroit went on an 11-1 run powered by five points from Isaiah Stewart during the first two minutes of the fourth. That closed the margin to 87-83. But a 3-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. steadied Houston and Alperen Şengün followed with a jumper to restore the lead to 92-83.
The Pistons cut the deficit to 94-91 on 3-pointers from Ronald Holland II and Daniss Jenkins. But the Rockets again kept Detroit at a distance with Amen Thompson and Durant knocking down jumpers to stop another Pistons run. A corner 3-pointer from Josh Okogie with 5:19 remaining in the fourth quarter was effectively the knockout blow, giving Houston a 101-93 lead. Detroit could not cut the deficit to below six points from there.
Şengün added 19 points for the Rockets while Sheppard finished with 18. Thompson scored 15 points with nine rebounds, and Smith grabbed 10 boards.
Advertisement
The Pistons got only 12 points from Cade Cunningham, who shot 5 of 13 (including 0 for 4 on 3s) from the floor. The All-Star starter tallied eight assists, but countered that with a game-high six turnovers. Jalen Duran led Detroit with 18 points, also grabbing 7 rebounds. Stewart scored 16 off the bench, while Holland added 13.
With the win, Houston rebounded from an overtime loss at Philadelphia on Thursday and finished a two-game road trip. The Rockets (27-16) have won five of their past seven games to keep a hold on the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Phoenix Suns fell to the No. 5 seed with Friday’s 110-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Advertisement
Up next for the Rockets is a two-game homestand, playing host to the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs (31-14).
Detroit drops to 32-11 with the defeat. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Pistons. But they have still won eight of their last 11 games.
The Pistons play the Sacramento Kings (12-34) on Sunday before beginning a three-game Western road trip versus the Golden State Warriors (25-21) on Tuesday.
Blades Brown, 18, nearly shoots 59 in historic round; tied with Scottie Scheffler for lead
Blades Brown is a name to get familiar with. It’s a pretty memorable name as it is.
At 18 years old, Brown captured a bit of history by carding a 60 on Friday in the second round of the American Express. And he had a short putt for a shot at a 59 on his final hole of the day.
But even after coming painfully close to joining the extremely rare sub-60 club, he still became the youngest player to shoot a 60 or better on the PGA Tour and set a course record at Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta, California.
“The putt didn’t drop on hole No. 9 but lowest round of the PGA Tour for me and a lot of positives to bring into the weekend,” Brown told Golf Channel afterward.
The 12-under round puts his two-day total at 17-under and tied for first place with none other than world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Brown’s world ranking is 485, but you’ll have to forgive the teenager who just turned pro a year ago and played a mere eight PGA events in 2025.
Advertisement
“Scottie is obviously an unbelievable player, and to have my name next to his name on the leaderboard — we’re halfway there so I got a lot of golf to go, but this weekend I’m just going to focus on executing the shots I can and see what happens,” Brown said.
This also continues a whirlwind week for Brown, who flew into California late Wednesday after finishing four rounds at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour.
That means Saturday will be his seventh straight day of playing a round of competitive golf. Such is life as a young player trying to earn full-time PGA status.
Brown started turning heads in the golf world when, at 16, he became the youngest player ever to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur. A year later, the Tennessee native chose to join the pro ranks despite fielding several offers from college teams.
Advertisement
It appears he can more than hold his own with the big boys.
Brown and Scheffler won’t be paired up Saturday because the American Express has an unusual three-round cut, which means the leaders won’t be paired up until the final round Sunday.
Either way, Brown is sure to invite a lot of attention over the weekend. He tees off at 11:52 a.m. ET Saturday. TV coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET Saturday on the Golf Channel.
Pacers upset Thunder in NBA Finals rematch, easily the highlight of a tough season for Indiana
Amid a tough season for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Indiana Pacers showed some fight in earning a road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA Finals rematch on Friday night, 117-114. The victory was just Indiana’s third on the road this season.
The Thunder went down despite 47 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who shot 17 for 28 from the floor and hit all 12 of his free throws. Friday’s game was SGA’s fifth 40-point effort of the season. Chet Holmgren scored 25 points with 13 rebounds. But Kenrich Williams (12) and Cason Wallace (10) were the only other OKC players to reach double figures.
Advertisement
Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell. That allowed the Pacers to use a smaller lineup which allowed them to play faster.
Indiana built an 82-71 lead with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter, but the Thunder cut the margin to 86-85 just before the end of the frame. Oklahoma City could never take the lead during the fourth quarter, though did trim the Pacers’ lead to 94-91 at the seven-minute mark.
An Andrew Nembhard 3-pointer appeared to be the decisive blow, giving Indiana a 113-103 lead. But the Thunder rallied with a 9-0 run to come within one point with 24 seconds remaining in regulation. Through the remaining 10 seconds, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jarace Walker traded free throws and set up an opportunity for Oklahoma City to tie the game with six seconds left.
Advertisement
However, the Pacers’ defense forced the Thunder to get the ball to Isaiah Joe for a 3-point attempt. He missed the shot and Indiana held on for arguably its biggest win of the season.
Nembhard scored 27 points (hitting 4-of-7 3-pointers) with 11 assists and 7 rebounds to lead Indiana to just its 11th win of the season, breaking a three-game losing streak. Walker followed with a career-best 26 points and Pascal Siakam added 21.
Facing their NBA Finals opponent from last season brings out the best in the Pacers, who lost their season opener to the Thunder but took the reigning NBA champions to double overtime before a 141-135 defeat. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 55 points in that matchup.
Advertisement
With their ninth loss of the season, the Thunder would now have to go undefeated to match the Golden State Warriors’ 73 wins during the 2015-16 campaign. A 26-3 start that had Oklahoma City on track for a historic season now appears to be a footnote.
Suns lose Jalen Green and Devin Booker, who had 31 points through 3 quarters, then blow lead to Hawks
The Phoenix Suns entered the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks up by seven points. They lost that lead after they had already lost guards Jalen Green and Devin Booker to injury.
Booker exited with a right ankle injury in the final seconds of the third quarter, a premature end to his 31-point outing that featured five 3s. Green played only four minutes and, as a precautionary measure, didn’t return to the game once he left in the first quarter with right hamstring tightness.
Advertisement
The Hawks (22-25) mounted a comeback and won 110-103, putting a stop to a three-game Suns (27-18) win streak, as Phoenix’s six-game road trip came to a close in Atlanta.
“It’s just tough. You feel for them,” Suns head coach Jordan Ott said of Booker and Green postgame, via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, who reported that Booker left the locker room after the game on crutches.
Ott continued: “Book really figured it out in the third quarter. It felt like he’d been doing so much for us all season long, and then there he was in his flow state. That’s the tough part about it. But I know he bounces back incredibly fast.
“And then Jalen’s worked every single day to get back, to go out and play basketball. Then basketball’s taken away. So it’s tough. It’s tough for his teammates. It’s tough for him, obviously.”
Advertisement
The Hawks, who have now won 12 straight home games over the Suns, were paced by big man Onyeka Okongwu. He turned in 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. They also got 23 points and a career-high 18 rebounds from Jalen Johnson, as well as 21 bench points from CJ McCollum.
Booker’s scoring display stole the spotlight. That was, before he went down.
The four-time All-Star hurt his right ankle while stepping on the foot of the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Okongwu. Booker was running back down the court with his head turned toward Grayson Allen trying to save a loose ball from going out of bounds. As a result, Booker collided into Okongwu and hit the deck in pain.
Advertisement
Booker grabbed at his ankle in agony. He eventually needed some assistance to get off the floor.
As for Green, he was in his second game back after missing 33 consecutive outings with a right hamstring strain. Friday marked only his fourth game with the Suns since they acquired him while trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Green came off the bench, like he did on Tuesday in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, but this time recorded a mere four points in a short-lived appearance.
He used a hesitation move to blow by Luke Kennard and get to the cup for an easy layup with 2:21 to go in the first quarter. The Hawks called a timeout, and Green appeared to shake his head as he walked to the bench. He was later ruled out with the designation, “precautionary right hamstring tightness.”
Advertisement
The Suns have surprised with a strong start to the season. They’ve weathered adversity before. But losing Booker for any significant period of time could jeopardize their first-half success.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to get MRI on strained right calf, says he expects to miss 4 to 6 weeks
The Milwaukee Bucks nearly made an improbable comeback from a 20-point deficit on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. However, the Bucks have a far more pressing concern with the health of star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A major reason that the Bucks couldn’t take the lead is that Antetokounmpo couldn’t play the final 34 seconds of the game due to a calf injury. He sat on the bench in the closing seconds as Kyle Kuzma’s shot from nearly half-court missed in Milwaukee’s 102-100 loss.
Advertisement
After the game, Antetokounmpo told reporters he will get an MRI exam on his right calf on Saturday and that, based on prior experience, he expects the results to say he will miss four-to-six weeks with a strain.
“Probably the next steps will be, go to MRI tomorrow,” he told reporters. “After the MRI, they’ll tell me, probably, I popped something in my calf, in my soleus, something. They’ll probably give me a protocol of four-to-six weeks that I’ll be out. This is from my experience being around the NBA.”
Antetokounmpo’s remarks are in line with concerns that Bucks coach Doc Rivers expressed to reporters in postgame comments.
Advertisement
“I don’t think it looks great, personally. This calf keeps coming up and it’s concerning,” Rivers said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him. There’s something that is there and it keep happening and that’s troublesome for all of us.”
Antetokounmpo’s injury means he will likely miss the All-Star Game, requiring NBA commissioner Adam Silver to appoint a replacement for him. His absence also could impact the trade market ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. Antetokounmpo has expressed frustration with the Bucks’ struggles, but so far stopped short of directly asking the team to trade him.
Rivers said he took Antetokounmpo out of the game because he didn’t like how he was looking through most of the game. At various points, Antetokounmpo appeared to have trouble moving up the court and also walked down the floor as the Bucks set up on offense. Upon leaving the game, he went to the locker room but soon returned to the Milwaukee bench.
Advertisement
“Giannis was defiant about staying in,” Rivers said.
Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists in 32 minutes. Ryan Rollins scored 21 points and hit two 3-pointers in the final 29 seconds of the game that cut Denver’s lead to 101-100 with five seconds remaining in regulation.
The two-time NBA MVP missed eight games earlier this season after suffering a calf strain during a Dec. 3 game against the Detroit Pistons. He returned on Dec. 27 for a matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Since then, Antetokounmpo had appeared in all 13 of Milwaukee’s games but was on a restriction of 30-31 minutes per contest.
Advertisement
Antetokounmpo wasn’t the only player that left Friday’s game with an injury. Aaron Gordon suffered a hamstring injury during the second quarter and did not return. Afterward, Nuggets coach David Adelman said he believed the strain was not severe, but further evaluation was needed. Gordon was sidelined for nearly six weeks earlier this season after straining his right hamstring.
Denver also played the game with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun and Jonas Valanciunas sidelined due to injuries.
Australian Open: Jannik Sinner defeats Eliot Spizzirri in four sets following controversial stoppage
No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner battled triple-digit heat in Melbourne and a strong effort from unseeded American Eliot Spizzirri to fight through a four-set win in the third round of the Australian Open. Sinner prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The result came under controversial circumstances with officials deciding to suspend play for 10 minutes early in the third set with Sinner behind 3-1 because of the heat index reaching 5.0, which required the open roof to then be closed at Rod Laver Arena. Prior to the stoppage, Sinner struggled with cramps in both legs that required him to receive courtside treatment.
Advertisement
After losing the first set 6-4 and falling behind in the third set, briefly suspending the match to give Sinner a break compelled many fans to complain that the two-time Australian Open champion was receiving favorable treatment from officials. When the match was halted, Sinner was clearly having difficulty with his legs and losing to Spizzirri.
Sinner looked refreshed following the break, though he still struggled to regain strength in his legs when play resumed. Spizzirri arguably lost the momentum he had when he was pressing his advantage before the match was suspended.
Upon returning, Sinner slowed the pace of the match down while he got his legs back. Spizzirri soon lost control of a set — and match — that appeared to be his and could not hold serve. That allowed the defending Australian Open champion to rally and win the third set 6-4.
Despite seemingly losing his advantage, Spizzirri continued applying pressure in the fourth set and attempted to get Sinner moving cross-court on his sore legs. He quickly took a 3-1 lead while Sinner limped off his cramps between points.
Advertisement
However, Sinner battled back and eventually broke Spizzirri’s serve to go ahead 4-3. By that point, those leg cramps appeared to be an afterthought and Sinner seemed determined not to let the match go to a fifth set, which Spizzirri might have won. (The 24-year-old is 1-0 in five-set matches during his career.)
During his post-match interview, Sinner explained that he was also experiencing cramps in his arms as the match progressed.
“I struggled physically a bit today. We saw this,” Sinner said. “I got lucky with the heat rule and they closed the roof. I took my time and as the time passed, I felt better and better, and I’m very happy about this performance. Looking back in every big tournament, I’ve had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”
Advertisement
Sinner will face No. 22 seed Luciano Darderi in the Round of 16 as he continues his pursuit of a third consecutive Australian Open title.