Australian Open 2025 results: Jannik Sinner fights back to reach third round and continue title defence

Jannik Sinner recovered from a sluggish begin towards world quantity 173 Tristan Schoolkate to maintain his Australian Open title defence on observe.

Sinner, who claimed his first main title in Melbourne final yr, had not dropped a set since October’s Shanghai Masters.

However Australian Schoolkate thrilled a partisan crowd on Rod Laver Area when he struck at 5-4 to win the opener and finish Sinner’s 29-set successful streak.

Nevertheless, the wildcard couldn’t hold tempo with the highest seed as Sinner sped by means of the gears to seize a 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3 victory and a spot within the third spherical.

The 23-year-old is the youngest participant to win 9 successive males’s singles matches on the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic between 2008 and 2009.

Requested how this yr felt completely different to his title-winning run, Sinner mentioned: “It is a completely different feeling however so many stunning moments, on and off the courtroom, have occurred to me right here. It is completely different however I take it as an opportunity to do it once more.

“It is nonetheless a really, very lengthy option to go. We go daily. Seeing my degree in the present day we all know that I can enhance.”

Sinner is competing on the Australian Open for the primary time since he failed two doping checks in March.

His doping case will probably be heard on the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in April after the World Anti-Doping Company appealed appealed towards the choice to clear him.

Schoolkate arrived at this yr’s event with simply two Grand Slam match wins beneath his belt, however he made Sinner look removed from his finest within the first set.

The 2-time main winner struggled to take care of Schoolkate’s aggressive play on the internet, with the house favorite successful 17 of his 18 internet factors in clinching the opener.

Sinner needed to look ahead to 80 minutes to carry up his first break level alternative, however he took it with each arms and it was plain crusing from there for the defending champion, who will face American Marcos Giron within the third spherical on Saturday.