Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune, two of tennis’s brightest young stars, have delivered a gripping showdown in their latest clash. Both the rivals are looking to book a spot in the quarterfinals in this high stakes match. The fiercely competitive contest took a surprising twist as Sinner, the World No. 1, began to struggle physically. Sinner’s troubles became apparent late in the second set. He was visibly shivering, prompting concern from fans and commentators alike.

As Sinner took a toilet break after the second set, commentator and tennis legend Jim Courier, describing his dire situation, said, “He looks disoriented, didn’t even know where he was heading. He almost looks like a zombie walking across the court.”

After losing the set, the Italian took a medical timeout to address the issue. The Italian returned to the court but didn’t seem to fully recovered. Early in the third set, after the score was 3-2, he called for the medical help again, which raised questions about his ability to finish the match. The World No.1 took a 11 minute break before resuming the match.

The third set proved especially grueling for Jannik Sinner, with his service games stretching significantly longer than Holger Rune’s. Two of Sinner’s service games lasted a marathon 9 minutes 40 seconds and 7 minutes 49 seconds, while Rune breezed through one in just 2 minutes 51 seconds. Adding to the challenge were intense rallies, including one hailed as the point of the tournament, that tested the Italian’s endurance. Battling through 33°C heat, Sinner could be seen leaning on his racquet just to stay upright.

It’s been a match full of disruptions, with medical timeouts coming from both sides. Rune took an MTO immediately after being broken at 5-3, following Sinner’s earlier timeouts. Despite the stops and starts, the defending champion managed to close out the third set 6-3. Rune then opted for a toilet break, adding yet another pause to the chaotic proceedings.

As if the match hadn’t seen enough interruptions, play was delayed once more when the net appeared to break. A handyman was called in to fix the issue, prompting the chair umpire to address the crowd: “We’re trying to fix the net as quickly as possible, just quickly sending the players off court out of the sun. Thank you for your patience.” Meanwhile, Sinner and Rune exited the court to escape the scorching conditions. Play was resumed once again after 17 minutes.

Jannik Sinner is on a quest to defend his Australian Open title this year, but the World No.1 feels he needs to do more to replicate last year’s feat.

Jannik Sinner ‘still has room to improve’ in Melbourne

The World No.1 , Jannik Sinner didn’t need to bring his A-game to beat American tennis player Marcos Giron in the third round, but he got the job done when it mattered most. The Italian rolled through with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win, securing his spot in the fourth round match against Holger Rune.

It was a dream 2024 for the 23-year-old who kicked things off by winning his first Grand Slam right here at Melbourne Park. He hasn’t slowed down since, picking up a US Open title, six ATP Tour trophies, and finishing the year as the top-ranked player in the world. Against Giron, he struck 35 winners and sent down eight aces. Though his 37 unforced errors left some room for improvement.

“Every match has its own difficulties. I still have room to improve, but every win is great,” Sinner admitted after the match. “If I want to go on in this tournament I have to improve.”

He’s currently riding a 17-match winning streak, with his last loss coming against his arch rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing Open final back in October. If he emerges successful in this match, Sinner could face 8th seed Alex de Minaur or American youngster Alex Michelsen.

Can Jannik Sinner keep his streak alive and defend his Australian Open title?