MELBOURNE, Australia — First came the medical timeouts, one each for Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune at the Australian Open with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, in an unusual sight, the Rod Laver Arena net detached from the court after Sinner's powerful serve hit it, causing a 20-minute delay in play.
Ultimately, Sinner put aside his physical struggles to win - something he keeps doing regardless of the venue or circumstances - and the defending champion knocked off the No. 13 seed to advance to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park on Monday. . Runes 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The #1 sinner would occasionally cool down by putting a cold washcloth on his face or pouring water on the back of his neck. He was much better at the end of the game, whether it was the 10-plus-minute delay in the third set when he went to the locker room for medical treatment, or the 20-minute delay in the fourth set when the screw connected the net to the blue. after. The gaming surface comes loose.
"I knew in my heart... I was going to struggle today," Sinner said in an on-court interview without saying what was wrong. "Me and the doctor, we talked for a while. It helped me a lot."
Since the end of 2024, he has won 18 consecutive Tour-level matches. Sinner won eight titles last season with a 73-6 record, becoming the first man since Andy Murray in 2016 to win as many events in one year.
That haul included Sinner's first two Grand Slam trophies, the Australian Open in January and the U.S. Open in September, the latter after he was cleared of two positive tests for anabolic steroids in March. Shortly after the acquittal. However, his case remains unresolved, with WADA scheduled to hold a hearing on an appeal against the ruling in April.
Roon, a 21-year-old from Denmark, reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne in his first attempt.
Sinner will face No. 8 Alex De Minaur of Australia or unseeded Alex Michelson of the United States for a spot in the semifinals. Monday's other two men's fourth-round matches pit No. 21 Ben Shelton of the United States against France's Gael Monfils and Italy's Lorenzo Sonego against Jin Tien of the United States.
Tuesday's men's quarterfinals will pit Novak Djokovic against Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev against Tommy Paul.
The first sign that Sinner was in trouble came when Luhn's serve was tied at 3 in the second set.
After sprinting behind the baseline and stumbling slightly, Sinner grabbed his left thigh and looked as if he might be suffering from some sort of discomfort, although it was unclear what happened.
After Ruane held on, Sinner slowly walked to the sideline for the ensuing switch, breathing heavily between plays. After the game restarted, Rooney won the first break point of the game, and Sinner handed it over with a double fault, leaving him 5-3 behind.
Ruane ended the set, and Sinner sat on the bench for a moment before slowly walking off the court toward the locker room.
It was a sweltering afternoon, and the long hours of physical exertion wore both players down. After a crucial 37-shot exchange in the third set - in which Sinner won with a swinging forehand volley pass across the court after a lob to propel Roone forward - everyone was down, hands on on his knees, breathing heavily. Darren Cahill, one of Sinner's coaches, stood in the ringside box with his left fist raised.
Then, at 3-2 in the third set, Sinner asked the referee to call a coach and have a ball boy bring him a team drink. Sinner's pulse was checked, then he trudged out, accompanied by a doctor, a towel around his neck and a bottle in each hand.
When play resumed, Rooney played a bit recklessly and without an effective game plan, trailing 5-3 - and then immediately asked for a medical of his own, during which time his right knee received a massage from his coach. This might actually help Sinner.
"There's no question about it, it's been very, very tough," Sinner said. “I knew in my heart that he had played a few long games before this game, so I was trying to keep my spirits up.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.