Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 of the 2024 Australian Open, the first Slam tournament of the season. The 22-year-old Italian, number 4 in the world and on the scoreboard, beats Argentine Sebastian Baez, seeded number 26, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 in 1h52′ in the third round of the men’s singles.
Sinner closed the practice with 6 aces and 64% of first balls, without needing an over the top performance (33 winners and 27 free errors). The South Tyrolean concedes 4 break points but never gives up the serve: everything goes smoothly in less than 2 hours of play. Sinner reaches the round of 16 of a Slam for the eleventh time in his career, beating Matteo Berrettini (10 appearances): no Italian boasts a role like his in major tournaments.
Sinner will face the Russian Karen Khachanov, seeded number 15, who in the third round got the better of the Czech Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in 3h24′. Sinner and Khachanov have already faced each other 3 times, the South Tyrolean has won the last 2 meetings after losing the first match in 2020 in the first round of the US Open.
The match
The match, as evidenced by the score, has no history. Sinner grinds out the first set without essentially conceding anything, overcoming the only moment of difficulty in the third game. Baez doesn’t convert 3 break points and loses the only available shot: in the half he collects 12 points in total, which are not enough to win a game (6-0 in 29′).
The script changes imperceptibly in the second set. The Argentine remains in the match for a few minutes (1-1) before giving up 5 games in a row. Baez wins a total of 15 points but never manages to threaten the Italian’s serve, who scores an easy 6-1 in 32′.
At the start of the third set, Sinner would have the chance to immediately score a break but he wastes it with a backhand error. The scene repeats itself in the third game, Baez saves again (2-1).
The third opportunity, in the fifth game, is the good one: the 22-year-old from South Tyrol raises the pace when necessary, Baez misses a forehand backhand and the break materializes: 3-2 for the Italian who sets the arrow. Sinner finds himself facing the first and only moment of difficulty of the set in the sixth game. Baez gets the only break point of the half but doesn’t convert it, the world number 4 gets out of trouble and extends (4-2) before closing the third set which lasts 51 minutes 6-3.
2024-01-19 03:07:00
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