After the drama of his third-round win against Eliot Spizzirri, Monday’s straight-sets passage into another Australian Open quarterfinal was just what Jannik Sinner needed.
MORE: All the scores from Day 9 at AO 2026
The two-time defending AO champion suffered cramp in Saturday’s conditions during that four-set victory over the American, but it was business as usual on Day 9 as he raised his game when it mattered to beat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi 6-1 6-3 7-6(2).
The AO 2024 and 2025 champion has now won 18 Australian Open matches in a row, and takes his overall win streak to 19 contests since his most recent defeat in Shanghai last October.
After saving two break points in the opening game, Sinner was razor-sharp during the first two sets and played a quite brilliant tiebreak to finish a much more competitive period when Darderi threw the kitchen sink at him.
The result puts the four-time major champion into his fourth successive Melbourne quarterfinal, where he’ll play American Ben Shelton or Norway’s Casper Ruud on Wednesday.
MORE: AO 2026 men’s singles draw
“In the third set I felt like I had a couple of break chances, couldn’t use them, and then I got very, very tight so I’m very happy that I closed it in three sets,” admitted Sinner, who is bidding to become the fourth player in history to win three consecutive Australian Open men’s singles titles.
“I tried to raise my level. I started off very well the match, and also [happy] with how I closed with some really important pressure points.”