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Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner set a mouthwatering fourth-round clash at the Australian Open. Two rivals battled for four hours at Rod Laver Arena, and Tsitsipas prevailed 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, reaching his third consecutive Australian Open quarter-final.
The young Italian fought well in sets three and four, leveling the score before falling in the decider. Jannik earned 26 break points, 18 in sets he won. He seized only four and missed his opportunities. Stefanos responded with five breaks on his tally, including the crucial one in the decider that sent him through.
Sinner made a slow start and lost serve in the encounter's first game after a forehand error. Tsitsipas had to dig deep on serve in game two, saving four break points and cementing the advantage with a forced error. The Greek served well and built a 4-2 advantage before the Italian pulled the break back with a backhand crosscourt winner in game eight, locking the result at 4-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Jannik Sinner in five sets at Rod Laver Arena.
Jannik could not keep that momentum, playing a loose forehand in the ninth game and finding himself 5-4 behind. Stefanos held at 15 in game ten, taking the opener 6-4 after 45 minutes and gaining a boost.
They delivered back-to-back breaks early in the second set and stayed locked at 4-4. Stefanos repeated his performance from the opening set, providing a break in game nine with a forehand crosscourt winner. Sinner fired a forehand winner at 4-5, creating a break chance and squandering it after Tsitsipas' service winner.
The Greek landed another unreturned serve on his second set point, moving two sets to one in front after an hour and a half. Jannik took charge in the third set, serving well and keeping the pressure on the other side after creating ten break chances.
Stefanos denied six early in the set before Jannik grabbed the seventh with a drop shot winner that sent him 3-1 ahead. Tsitsipas served to stay in the set at 2-5 and saved three set points to prolong the action. Sinner left those opportunities behind, firing an ace at 5-3 to clinch the set and improve his chances.
With a boost by his side, Jannik dropped four points behind the initial shot in the fourth set, challenging Stefanos to chase those numbers. Instead, the Greek got broken from 40-15 in the third game, pushing the rival in front and trailing the rest of the set.
The Italian served for the set at 5-4 and fired a service winner, introducing a decider after three hours and 20 minutes. Stefanos recharged his batteries and played well in the fifth set. He squandered three break points at 2-1 before seizing the third break chance in game six that sent him 4-2 in front.
The 3rd seed held in game seven with a booming serve, moving 5-2 in front and forcing his rival to serve to stay in the match. Sinner prolonged the action before Tsitsipas painted a forehand crosscourt winner at 5-3, celebrating a notable win and remaining on the title course.