07:35
roof is closed
It’s still dripping, two wipe commands are still at work. So now the roof is closed after all. The professionals stay on the pitch and wait for things to come.
07:30
interruption
Sinner is supposed to serve, but complains that it’s slippery. Therefore the game is interrupted for a moment. The ball kids try to wipe the lines dry. The roof should remain open.
07:30
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:6, 1:2
There were only a few drops. Besides, the sun is still shining. Apparently they don’t expect real rain in Melbourne, so the roof is left open.
07:27
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:6, 1:2
Tsitsipas doesn’t hesitate, grabs it with determination. In a cross duel, the Greek pins the opponent on the backhand side until his punch lands out of bounds. This is how the French Open finalist managed the early break in the second round.
07:26
Sinner – Tsitsipas 3:6, 1:1
Despite the sunshine, there are also a few clouds in the sky and a few drops are falling. No one seems to be nervous here yet. There is every reason for Sinner to do so, because Tsitsipas just put his backhand on the line and got a breakball.
07:23
Sinner – Tsitsipas 3:6, 1:1
Both actors serve reliably. Tsitsipas now only gives up one point, wins the game in a relaxed manner and makes it 1-1.
07:22
Sinner – Tsitsipas 3: 6, 1: 0
Apart from the start of the match, both are quite at eye level. Sinner even hit one more winner (nine). The unforced errors are tied (10:10). The mark-up rates are also getting closer.
07:20
Sinner – Tsitsipas 3: 6, 1: 0
Sinner reacts with his second ace. The 20-year-old then regulates this with the serve. Tsitsipas does not get into the rallies. So the South Tyrolean gets through his first service game in this sentence.
07:18
2nd sentence
Jannik Sinner is now allowed to open the second round, but makes a forehand mistake without having to.
07:18
interim conclusion
Due to his starting difficulties and the early loss of serve, Jannik Sinner fell behind decisively. Although the South Tyrolean then stabilized, the break could no longer be made up. Stefanos Tsitsipas acted too consistently at a high level for this and thus earned the lead in the set.
07:16
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:6
Tsitsipas has to be patient because of a forehand error. As a result, however, the fourth in the world rankings causes the opponent problems again with the serve. The return sails out and the Greek gets the first set.
07:14
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:5
In forward motion and with a safe forehand ball, Tsitispas gets the first two set balls.
07:13
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:5
Afterwards, Tsitsipas allows himself his second double fault. Then the Hellen serves into the opponent’s body and forces the next return error.
07:12
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:5
So Tsitsipas has to serve the sentence himself. With the second, the 23-year-old stormed to the net and apparently caused the surprise effect. Sinner returns to the network.
07:10
Sinner-Tsitsipas 3:5
The first comes reliably and gives Sinner very quick points and three game balls. The tenth in the world rankings uses the second because a forehand inside-out of the opponent touches down just to the side of the line.
07:09
Sinner-Tsitsipas 2:5
So Sinner now has to serve against the loss of the set. That doesn’t seem to bother the 20-year-old, who fires his first ace of the match.
07:07
Sinner-Tsitsipas 2:5
No, Tsitsipas is not showing any weaknesses and is successful on the net for the second time today. When shortly afterwards Sinner misses a backhand, the Greek makes it 5:2.
07:06
Sinner-Tsitsipas 2:4
The servers haven’t had any problems for quite some time. But then Sinner unpacks a forehand winner under pressure. 30 both! Is there something for the South Tyrolean now?
07:04
Sinner-Tsitsipas 2:4
Shortly thereafter, the Greek misses a forehand without need. For the second time in a row, Sinner marches to zero through a service game.
07:03
Sinner-Tsitsipas 1:4
Tsitsipas is now on the net for the third time, but has to go deep for the backhand volley and sets it too long. This brings his opponent three game balls.
07:00
Sinner-Tsitsipas 1:4
However, the Italian has nothing more to order. Without a chance for a controlled forehand return, Sinner cannot do anything. Tsitsipas effortlessly brings his service game through to 4: 1.
06:59
Sinner – Tsitsipas 1:3
Tsitsipas starts his second ace. A little later, the Hellene is countered on the way forward. Sinner is successful with the backhand passing ball longline.
06:57
Sinner – Tsitsipas 1:3
The first serve then stabilizes. The rallies can be kept short and designed to be dominant. With this, Sinner has no problem maintaining its service.
06:56
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 3
Both players always score when the first serve comes. It’s just that he’s only doing this for the second time at Sinner at this moment. But as long as it works over the second. Now the Italian catches the competitor on the wrong foot with a backhand.
06:54
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 3
Tsitsipas acts faster, now sets his forehand against the direction of the opponent. Sinner does not bring the felt ball back in a controlled manner, which gives the Greek the 3-0.
06:51
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 2
With Tsitsipas, it works better with the first serve, which ignites his first ace at 216 kilometers per hour.
06:50
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 2
Sinner is looking for the first serve, only one came. This time he doesn’t come either. in the subsequent rally, the South Tyrolean gets too long with the forehand and gives up his service.
06:48
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
Furthermore, both set a high pace – with the better end for the Greek, who thus worked out a first breakball.
06:46
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
Sinner gives away the first of two game balls because of his first double fault. After that, Tsitsipas looks for his chance. And now the 23-year-old pulls the forehand down inside the line. debut!
06:45
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
For the first time one of the players goes forward. And Sinner is doing this successfully. The backhand volley sits. 30:15! A good serve to the outside then paves the way. And this time the forehand brings inside.to the point.
06:44
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
Afterwards, both make speed in the rally. Sinner brings the forehand inside-in, but his opponent is there again and is successful again at full speed with the cross-played forehand.
06:43
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
Sinner increases the speed to 209 kilometers per hour on the first impact. That brings a quick point.
06:42
Sinner – Tsitsipas 0: 1
In the further course you can rely on the first serve. After 0:30 the Greek takes the game to his side. It is true that Sinner plays his forehand cross very precisely on the sideline. But Tsitsipas also counters with the forehand and a little more short cross.
06:40
Sinner 0-0 Tsitsipas
Then Tsitsipas allowed himself the first double fault. But then comes the first, which Sinner is unable to return.
06:38
1 sentence
Now Tsitsipas opens this quarterfinal. The 4th seeded Greek has to go over the second serve right away. A longer rally immediately develops, which Sinner ends with a forehand winner.
06:30
Entry and coin toss
Almost exactly at 4:30 p.m. local time, our protagonists enter the court. After a few steps of preparation, the German chair umpire Nico Helwerth meets at the net to vote. The coin falls in favor of the South Tyrolean placed at 11, who decides to return.
06:27
Head 2 Head
The two opponents face each other for the fourth time. So far, you have met without exception on sand – twice at the Masters in Rome. The first duel went smoothly to Tsitsipas in 2019. The following year, Sinner prevailed in three sentences. In the semi-finals of the Barcelona 500 2021, the Greek turned the tables again and won without losing a set.
06:18
Shortly
In the Rod Laver Arena, Iga Świątek uses her second match point at this moment and defeats Kaia Kanepi 4: 6, 7: 6, 6: 3 in three hours. This will soon free up space for our two men. We expect them to appear around 6:35 a.m. CET.
06:09
Tsitsipas in Melbourne
In Melbourne, Tsitsipas has already made it to the semifinals (2019, 2021) and is now aiming for it again. For the fifth time, the 4th seeded Hellene is part of the main draw. Only the start against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer went smoothly. In the other matches, the current fourth in the world rankings had a lot to do, sometimes standing on the pitch for up to three and a half hours. Four sets were needed against Argentinian Sebastián Báez and Frenchman Benoît Paire. Most recently against the American Taylos Fritz, who was seeded 20th, it even went the full distance.
05:30
patience
Iga Świątek has just managed to equalize the set in the tie-break of the second round. So the women’s match will take a while. It is therefore not our turn before 6:00 a.m. CET.
05:15
ATP Champion 2019
Tsitsipas has also limited his previous activities during the new season to the ATP Cup and missed the semifinals with Greece. In singles there was one win and one loss for him. In previous years, the Greek had won seven tournaments and fought his way up to third place in the world rankings. The 23-year-old landed his greatest triumph as ATP champion in 2019. The right-hander already has a Masters title (Monte Carlo 2021). He won his last title so far in May 2021 in Lyon. Shortly thereafter, Tsitsipas was in a Grand Slam final for the first time, losing out to Novak Djokovic at the French Open.
05:00
delay
Iga Świątek and Kaia Kenepi are still at work in the Rod Laver Arena. At the same time, there is a struggle as to whether there should be a third sentence. In any case, the decision-making process obviously still takes some time, which is why we have to wait at least until 5:30 a.m. CET.
04:45
Five tournament wins for Sinner
At the Masters level, Sinner has even contested a final, but lost out against Hubert Hurkacz last year in Miami. The right-hander was victorious in all his other finals at ATP tournaments. So far, five titles have been recorded, four of which the Italian collected in 2021 – the most valuable at the 500 in Washington. At the end of last season, Sinner had climbed to 9th place in the world rankings and is currently in tenth place. In the new year he only played the ATP Cup, winning all three individual matches, but was eliminated with Italy in the group phase.
04:30
First Grand Slam semi-final for Sinner?
So the two semi-finalists in the lower part of the tableau are being sought today. And that would be a novelty for Jannik Sinner. Never before has the 20-year-old gone so high at Grand Slam level. So far, the quarter-finals in Roland Garros 2020 is the best major result. At the Australian Open, the South Tyrolean has never made it past the second round. With his third participation, however, things are going much better. On his way through the current tournament, Sinner only lost a set in the 3rd round against the Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel. Things went smoothly against the Portuguese lucky loser João Sousa, the American Steve Johnson and most recently against the Australian Alex de Minaur, who was seeded 32nd.
04:15
Welcome
Welcome to the Australian Open! The remaining quarter-finals in the individual competitions are on the agenda in Melbourne today. For men, we have the match between Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas, which is scheduled to start at 5:00 a.m. CET.