NEW DELHI: Defending champion Jannik Sinner showcased his ruthless form on Saturday, storming into the last 16 of the Australian Open in Melbourne with a commanding straight-set victory over American Marcos Giron.
The world number one, who had dropped a set for the first time in 14 matches during his second-round encounter with Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate, showed no signs of inconsistency on Rod Laver Arena.
He overpowered the unseeded Giron with a clinical 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win in just over two hours, firing 35 winners and eight aces.
Next up for Sinner is a clash with either Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic or Danish 13th seed Holger Rune. The Italian enters the matchup riding a remarkable 17-match winning streak that dates back to his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing last October.
“Very happy to be in the next round,” said Sinner, who added eight titles to his name last year, including the US Open and ATP Finals.
“Every match has its own challenges. Today, I felt he was solid from the baseline and served well. I still have room to improve, but every win is a step forward.
“Mental focus is crucial for us tennis players,” he continued. “If I want to go further in this tournament, I’ll need to raise my game.”
The 23-year-old, defending a Grand Slam title for the first time following his thrilling five-set triumph over Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final, wasted no time asserting his dominance against Giron.
He broke the American in the first service game, and though he committed 11 unforced errors in the opening set—two more than Giron—the early break proved decisive.
In the second set, Sinner waited patiently for his opportunity, breaking in the fifth game when Giron misfired a forehand. From there, the Italian controlled the tempo, consistently outmaneuvering Giron in extended rallies.
Sinner’s backhand winner early in the third set secured another break, giving him a 2-0 lead. While Giron, ranked 46th, showed resilience by breaking back to level at 2-2, Sinner quickly responded by breaking again and winning the next four games to seal the victory.
For the American, who was seeking to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, Sinner’s relentless performance proved too much to overcome.
