Jannik Sinner’s bid for a third straight Australian Open title is intact, and for most of Monday it looked routine, even in the kind of sticky Melbourne conditions that had bothered him two days earlier.
The two-time defending champion beat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(2) to reach the quarterfinals, shaking off pre-match questions about his fitness after cramping in the heat in the previous round. Sinner sprinted through the opening sets, then survived a more chaotic third, where Darderi saved match points before Sinner closed the door in the tiebreak.
The result sets up a quarterfinal against American Ben Shelton, who powered his way through the night session on Rod Laver Arena with a four-set win over Casper Ruud, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Shelton’s serving and aggression flipped the match after the opening set, and he now gets another crack at Sinner at Melbourne Park after falling to him in last year’s semifinals.
Monday’s men’s draw also confirmed an all-Italian surge into the last eight. Lorenzo Musetti continued his steady rise on hard courts, beating an injury-hampered Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to reach his first Australian Open quarterfinal. Musetti’s reward is a meeting with Novak Djokovic, who advanced without playing after Jakub Mensik withdrew injured.
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek ended Australia’s singles hopes with a blunt 6-0, 6-3 win over qualifier Maddison Inglis. Swiatek’s movement and return pressure were relentless in the first set, and although Inglis briefly lifted the crowd by breaking early in the second, Swiatek quickly reasserted control to move into another Melbourne quarterfinal. She will face Elena Rybakina, who swept past Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-3.
Elsewhere, Jessica Pegula ended defending champion Madison Keys’ run, beating her 6-3, 6-4 in a match that never fully ignited for Keys. Pegula, who has become a fixture in the second week in Melbourne, will next face Amanda Anisimova, a straight-sets winner over China’s Wang Xinyu, 7-6(4), 6-4.
Beyond the scorelines, the day carried a familiar Australian Open storyline: weather. Temperatures reached the low 30s Celsius again, and the forecast for Tuesday is even harsher, raising the likelihood of heat-related interruptions and closed roofs on the main show courts. The scheduling, recovery windows, and the ability to manage short bursts of intensity may matter as much as tactics once the quarterfinals begin.
Tuesday’s marquee order already has a home-country edge: Australia’s last singles player, Alex de Minaur, is slated to face top seed Carlos Alcaraz, while Aryna Sabalenka is set to meet American teenager Iva Jovic as the women’s quarterfinals get underway.
