For a few uneasy minutes inside Rod Laver Arena, Jannik Sinner looked like a player on the brink.
In searing heat that climbed past 100°F on Saturday, the two-time defending Australian Open champion bent over between points, arms and legs cramping, his energy visibly draining as Eliot Spizzirri sensed opportunity.
Sinner and Spizzirri’s third-round clash went four sets in punishing conditions. The world No. 2 struggled physically as Darren Cahill and his coaching team urged him to hold on for a few more games. Just after world No. 85 Spizzirri broke serve to take the lead, play was suspended for a 10-minute cooling break so the roof could be closed under the Australian Open’s Extreme Heat Protocol.
The timing drew criticism online, with some fans suggesting the stoppage favored Sinner at a crucial juncture.
It certainly changed the feel of the match.
Spizzirri had taken the opening set and stayed toe-to-toe with Sinner through the next two. After the break, however, a refreshed Sinner regrouped and surged to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
“I got lucky with the heat rule and they closed the roof,” Sinner acknowledged in his post-match interview. “I took my time and as the time passed, I felt better and better.
“I’m very happy about this performance. Looking back in every big tournament, I’ve had some really tough matches. Hopefully, this can give me some positives for the next round.”
While debate swirled, former world No. 1 Jim Courier offered a different perspective, pointing out that he faced a similar situation during the 1993 Australian Open final against Stefan Edberg.
“I suffered. I won, but I suffered,” Courier recalled on Tennis Channel Live.