Limping and desperately trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs, Jannik Sinner had just gone down a break in the third set when the extreme heat rules saved him at the Australian Open.
Play was suspended for several minutes while the roof was closed on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday afternoon, and the two-time defending champion returned a revitalized man.
After seemingly being on the verge of an unlikely exit — one of his coaches, Darren Cahill, was urging the 24-year-old Italian to stick it out for a few more games — Sinner won five of the next six games to take the set against No. 85-ranked Eliot Spizzirri.
A 10-minute “cooling break” between the third and fourth sets followed — another allowance under the extreme heat policy — and Sinner returned for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 third-round victory that highlighted a dramatic contrast of intense light and shade.
“I struggled physically today. I got lucky with the heat rule,” Sinner said, agreeing that the cooler indoor conditions suited him much more than the energy-sapping heat of the first two sets. “As the time passed, I felt better and better.”
Reflecting on his state when he trailed 3-1 in the third set, after he had dropped as many service games in this match as he did in winning the 2025 tournament, the No. 2-seeded Sinner said he was just trying to survive until a longer break.
“It started with the legs. Got to the arms. I was cramping a bit all over,” he said. “This is the sport. This is an area I know I need to improve.
“Tennis is a very mental game. I tried to stay as calm as possible. I’m here to fight, to play every point the best possible way.”
Spizzirri, a 24-year-old American who was making his debut in the Australian Open main draw, had never won three consecutive matches on the elite tour. Yet, he converted six of his 16 breakpoint chances against Sinner. Nobody had taken more serves off the Italian here since his 2024 final against Daniil Medvedev.
In the second set, Sinner was given a rare time violation by umpire Fergus Murphy as he was preparing to serve. In a show of sportsmanship, Spizzirri intervened, approaching the umpire and saying he hadn’t been ready to receive.
The American had the crowd on his side until Sinner’s movement really became hampered.
But with the glare gone, the temperature easing across the third and fourth sets and the heat from the court plummeting, Sinner regained his confidence.
He’ll next play fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, who beat No. 15 Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Three Italian men advanced to the round of 16, with No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti beating Tomas Machac 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in a match on John Cain Arena that also had to be briefly halted — in the fifth set — to close the roof.
No. 8 Ben Shelton beat Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Margaret Court Arena and was delighted the roof was closed even before he stepped on court.
“Having the roof here closed today just amplified the noise,” Shelton told the crowd. “If this roof was open today, I don’t know if I’d be able to go the distance.”
Telling the crowd to stay cool, he added: “I’m not done yet. I hope you guys come back in two days’ time because I’ve still got a lot to prove here.”
Play was suspended on outside courts for at least three hours in the mid-afternoon Saturday under the extreme heat rules at the Australian Open.
The temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) when the extreme heat policy was invoked — the tournament’s heat scale hit a maximum of 5. The forecast was for a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
The night session on Rod Laver Arena featured 10-time champion Novak Djokovic as he continued his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. Djokovic plays Botic Van De Zandschulp in the first of the evening matches.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
