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Sinner Cruises as Gaston Retires Hurt in Australian Open First Round

Jannik Sinner advanced to the second round of the Australian Open after his French opponent, Hugo Gaston, retired hurt while trailing two sets to love. Sinner dominated the short match, winning 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour to extend his winning streak at Melbourne Park to 15 matches. The Italian is now chasing a historic third consecutive Australian Open title, a feat achieved in the Open era only by Novak Djokovic. Sinner expressed sympathy for his injured opponent but was pleased with his own aggressive and high-level start to the tournament.

Key Points: Jannik Sinner Advances After Hugo Gaston Retires at Australian Open

  • Sinner wins after Gaston retires
  • Leads 6-2, 6-1 in 68 minutes
  • Chases historic third consecutive title
  • Has won 15 straight matches at Melbourne Park
3 min read

Aus Open: Jannik Sinner moves into second round after French opponent Gaston retires hurt

Defending champion Jannik Sinner moves into the second round after opponent Hugo Gaston retires hurt. Sinner eyes a historic third straight title.

"It's not the way you want to win a match. - Jannik Sinner"

Melbourne, Jan 20

Jannik Sinner regained his winning streak at Melbourne Park on Tuesday after Hugo Gaston retired unexpectedly once the Italian, a two-time defending Australian Open champion, took a commanding lead of two sets to love at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The match ended abruptly after just over an hour when the injured French World No. 93 retired despite receiving medical treatment. Jannik Sinner dominated early, leading 6-2, 6-1, and the French player left the court visibly devastated. Despite the short contest, Sinner reinforced his status as the leading title contender in Melbourne.

The second seed has won 15 straight matches at Melbourne Park and is chasing a historic third consecutive Australian Open title. A third win would make him only the second man in the Open era, after Novak Djokovic, to achieve this feat. Sinner will next face either Dino Prizmic or James Duckworth.

Later, in his on-court interview, Sinner mentioned that although Gaston's retirement caught him off guard, he had observed that his French opponent wasn't performing at his best.

"I saw that he was not serving with a very high pace, especially in the second set, but it's not the way you want to win a match," said Sinner, who hasn't dropped a set in his past 11 matches. "He's such a talented player. He has incredible touch and moves very, very well, so I knew starting from the beginning that I had to play a very high level of tennis, trying to be as aggressive as possible, which I've done, so I'm very happy," he added.

"I felt very well prepared. We worked a lot physically and on the court (during the off-season). I had one great (practice) match with Felix (Auger-Aliassime), even though it's an exhibition, we went 'full.' The official matches are always very different, and I'm very happy with how I started today. A bit of tension, but now it's time to enjoy. The hard work is done. We practice for moments like this, so I'm happy to be back," he said.

Despite Gaston's physical problems, the matchup was always tough, and Sinner quickly took control. Aside from an early 0-40 scare that Sinner escaped with aces, Gaston had few chances. Sinner broke repeatedly with strong baseline play and passing shots, winning six straight games to lead by a set and 2-0. The contest stayed one-sided, with Gaston briefly holding serve to avoid a bagel before Sinner sealed the match, which ended in just 68 minutes.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Feel so bad for Gaston. You could see he was devastated. Injuries are the worst part of sports. Sinner was gracious in his interview though, which is good to see. Wishing the French player a speedy recovery.
R
Rohit P
Sinner's focus is next level. Even when the opponent is struggling, he doesn't let his intensity drop. That's the mark of a true champion. Onwards to the next round! 🎾
S
Sarah B
While Sinner is impressive, these early-round retirements due to injury are becoming too common. Maybe the schedule is too packed? Takes away from the spectacle for the fans who paid to watch a proper match.
V
Vikram M
Chasing Djokovic's record! That's the real story. If Sinner wins this, he truly enters the legend category. The next generation of tennis is here, and he's leading it. Exciting times for the sport.
K
Kavya N
His humility is refreshing. "It's not the way you want to win" – shows great sportsmanship. Talent plus a good attitude is a winning combination. Hope our Indian players are watching and learning from such champions!

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