Jannik Sinner seemed to be flying high against James Duckworth. © APA/afp / DAVID GRAY
That was a rapid ride: Jannik Sinner really stepped on the accelerator at the Australian Open and reached the third round in no time. Even his opponent seemed impressed.
22 January 2026
From: fop
Jannik Sinner bagged his second win of the season on Thursday with a smooth 6:1, 6:4, 6:2. That day, his opponent, local hero James Duckworth, was nothing more than a puzzled passenger on Sinner’s two-hour drive to the third round of the Australian Open.
Duckworth seemed like a passenger because he had no choice but to match Sinner’s pace and allow himself to be driven around the court by his hammer-hard punches. The two-time Melbourne champion was not only outstanding in his serve game, he also showed that he had noticeably worked on his variability during the winter break – and was able to use it.
Duckworth is overwhelmed
Sinner tried, especially in the first set, to play the entire field in a variety of ways and to repeatedly move to the net. Duckworth was extremely overwhelmed from the start. After just 26 minutes the first round was history.
With the sentence behind him, Sinner then gave his counterpart, number 88 in the world, a brief pause. When the score was 3:3, the man from Sexten tightened the reins again, landed a break that ultimately helped him win the second set, and subsequently didn’t allow himself to be spoiled. He also won the third section with a clear 6:2.
“I know you’re keeping your fingers crossed for the Australians. Still, it was fair.”
Jannik Sinner
After the game, Sinner almost showed pity for his defeated opponent. “James has always struggled with injuries in the past, it’s great to see him here again at this tournament,” said the 24-year-old – and at the same time he asked the audience for forgiveness for the shortened entertainment: “I know you’re keeping your fingers crossed for the Australians. Nevertheless, it was a great, fair atmosphere. Thank you!”
Now comes a premiere
In the third round, Sinner will face surprise man Eliot Spizziri (ATP 85) on Saturday. The 24-year-old American had a lot of trouble in his five-set win against Yibing Wu (ATP 168) on Thursday, but previously caused a stir with his first-round coup against Brazil’s shooting star Joao Fonseca (ATP 28). The duel in Melbourne will be the first ever between Spizziri and Sinner.
