World No. 1 Jannik Sinner overcame a shaky start to defeat Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 on Thursday, securing his place in the third round of the Australian Open, MySportDab Reports.
Sinner, the defending champion, arrived at Rod Laver Arena having won 30 of his past 31 matches and without dropping a set in 15 straight, but 173rd-ranked Schoolkate broke that streak in 47 minutes of play, converting his only break point to take the first set in front of a lively home crowd.
Struggling to find his rhythm early in the second set, Sinner eventually broke Schoolkate’s serve at 4-3 with a stunning crosscourt winner. From that moment on, the match swung firmly in the Italian’s favor as he took full control.
“It’s always tough playing someone for the first time,” Sinner admitted. “He started really strong, serving well, but I’m happy to get through.”
It was quality that shone through from Sinner, despite the uncharacteristic 29 unforced errors that came with 42 winners, one of which was a blistering forehand to close out the match.
Schoolkate stayed competitive through his strong 210 kph serve and aggressive net play but could not sustain a high enough level as Sinner raised his.
With the win, Sinner increased his winning streak against Aussies to 20 in a row. The title favourite will square off against Marcos Giron from the United States in round three as he pursues back-to-back Grand Slam crowns.
