Net gains for dizzy Sinner

Jannik Sinner celebrates a point against Holger Rune in Melbourne yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled dizzy spells on Monday in energy-sapping heat to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, admitting a long interruption when he accidentally broke the net was "big, big luck". The World No. 1 again dropped a set before coming home 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Danish 13th seed Holger Rune on Rod Laver Arena with both men needing medical attention.

Medical timeout

Sinner struggled in the muggy conditions, his hand visibly shaking and his heart rate taken in the third set before he left court for a medical timeout. Rune needed attention to a sore right knee in the same set. They then had a bizarre 20-minute delay when Sinner demolished the metal brace that secures the net to the floor with a thunderous serve early in set four.

Holger Rune

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"I was not feeling really well. You know, I think we saw that today I was struggling physically," said Sinner, 23, who is bidding to become the first Italian man to win three Grand Slam crowns. He refused to say exactly what was wrong with him, only that he was "not there health-wise" and had been "a bit dizzy at times". "I don't want to go into details. I think it was, you know, then also with the pressure and everything, it was not easy."

‘It was helpful'

He admitted that the time off court in air-conditioning while officials repaired the net helped him refresh. "I was lucky today that... 20 minutes off court, you know, trying to get back physically, putting some cold water in my head, it was very helpful. It was big, big luck to me today."

Ground staff repair the net that was damaged by Jannik Sinner during his match against Holger Rune yesterday. Pic/AFP

The win put him into a clash against Australia's big hope, eighth seed Alex de Minaur, or young American Alex Michelsen. The Italian is bidding to defend a Grand Slam title for the first time after winning the first of his two majors in Melbourne last year, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.

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