Sinner successfully came back from behind against the Australian player

(Dan Tri) - Jannik Sinner lost a set to Tristan Schoolkate, however the reigning Australian Open men's singles champion successfully came back and won after 4 sets to advance to the third round.

Jannik Sinner endured a challenging match, dropping a set in an ATP Tour match for the first time since early October 2024. However, the No. 1 seed and reigning Australian Open champion quickly recovered to win against Tristan Schoolkate in the second round on the afternoon of January 16.

Sinner came from behind to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 victory over the host nation's wildcard at Rod Laver Arena. Currently ranked 173rd in the ATP rankings, the 23-year-old Schoolkate had an impressive opening set, but could not maintain her form as Sinner won in 2 hours and 46 minutes.

Sinner lost a set but managed to rise up in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open (Photo: Getty).

In an on-court interview with John McEnroe, Sinner said: "It's always difficult playing against someone you don't know very well. Schoolkate served well and got the better of me from the start. The fans created a great atmosphere. This is a very special place, especially for Australian players playing in front of their own fans. I'm still very happy with my performance. I never take anything for granted, so I'm very happy to be in the next round."

Sinner won 16 of the final 21 games from 2-3 down in the second set, extending his winning streak to 16 straight matches on the ATP Tour. He showed a marked improvement in his comeback ability, breaking his opponent's serve five times to win their first meeting.

"Every round here is very difficult. Everyone who is in the first round, or the second round, or the third round, deserves to be here. It was a very difficult match. I can improve my performance. We saw today I struggled a little bit with the wind. But I will take the opportunity, it is a good opportunity to play in the evening, in an evening on a beautiful court like this. Everything is great," Sinner added.

Schoolkate made a solid start to her Rod Laver Arena debut, winning 94% of her points at the net in the opening set. However, she was unable to maintain her form as Sinner broke to take a 4-3 lead in the second set. The gulf in class between the two players became even more apparent as Sinner finished the match with a total of 29 unforced errors compared to Schoolkate’s 52.

Schoolkate could only play the first set well (Photo: Getty).

The win was a testament to Sinner's mental strength in the face of a raucous Australian crowd. He will next face Marcos Giron in the third round. Sinner beat the American in straight sets in Shanghai last October.

"It's definitely a different feeling defending a Grand Slam title for the first time. But there have been so many different beautiful moments for me here, on and off the court, in this beautiful place. Everything is so different and I see this as an opportunity to hopefully repeat that.

There is still a long way to go. We are moving forward day by day. Looking at my performance today, we know that we can still improve, that is the most important thing. Hopefully I can show this in the next round and it will be a great tournament for me again," Sinner shared about his journey to defend his title.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/sinner-loi-nguoc-dong-thanh-cong-truoc-tay-vot-nguoi-australia-20250116220935157.htm