Sinner, Osaka through to the third round at Australian Open

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Defending champion Jannik Sinner wins easy against James Duckworth portion Naomi Osaka overcomes Sorana ‍Cirstea.

Published On 22 Jan 2026

Two-time defending ‌champion Jannik Sinner has outclassed location wildcard James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 ‍to stroll into ‍the 3rd circular of the Australian Open.

The Italian satellite fig 2 was successful nary temper connected Thursday for an extended displacement connected a chill Rod Laver Arena arsenic helium acceptable up a last-32 clash with ⁠American Eliot Spizzirri.

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It was Sinner’s 27th successive tour-level triumph against Australian players, his last decision against 1 coming against Duckworth successful Toronto successful 2021.

But ‍a repetition of that result ne'er looked apt arsenic Sinner produced an immaculate show from the backmost of the court.

“Every lucifer is difficult. So blessed to beryllium successful the adjacent round,” Sinner, ‍who has ⁠won his past 12 matches without dropping a set, said connected court. “Very blessed with my performance.

“I cognize however overmuch enactment I’ve enactment in, truthful the assemblage feels bully and the caput is successful a bully moment.”

From the infinitesimal helium drilled a backhand victor into the country to interruption Duckworth’s service successful the 4th game, helium was successful power and was gifted a 2nd work interruption with a treble fault.

Sinner claimed ‌the archetypal acceptable successful 26 minutes, and though Duckworth offered much absorption successful the 2nd with immoderate assertive play, the Italian’s controlled powerfulness and placement was excessively overmuch for his 34-year-old opponent.

A forehand ‌winner earned him a interruption constituent astatine 3-3, and Duckworth blazed wildly agelong arsenic the unit told.

Duckworth’s winners were ‌loudly applauded by the evening crowd, but the ⁠end came quickly, and Sinner finished it disconnected with an ace – his 18th of the match.

Sinner has spent little than 3 hours connected tribunal to scope the 3rd round, and helium volition beryllium the dense ‌favourite against 85th-ranked Spizzirri, who survived a five-setter against China’s Wu Yibing.

“I’ve been watching him besides past twelvemonth a small spot – precise assertive connected the tribunal and ‍a large server also,” Sinner said.

“I don’t cognize him arsenic good due to the fact that we haven’t played yet, but I’m hoping for a large match.”

Osaka beats Cirstea successful 3 sets

Naomi Osaka overcame a second-set wobble ‍to bushed Romania’s Sorana ‍Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 successful the 2nd round.

Osaka, who won the Australian Open successful 2019 and 2021, made a shaky commencement against Cirstea, dropping the opening crippled connected her service and committing aboriginal errors.

She soon shook disconnected ‌the cobwebs and broke to level astatine 2-2 earlier breaking again for a 5-3 pb and past defending a interruption constituent to clasp service and instrumentality the opening set.

The 35-year-old Cirstea, who volition discontinue astatine the extremity of the year, again took an aboriginal pb successful ‌the 2nd set, and though Osaka levelled astatine 2-2, the Romanian broke successful a decisive infinitesimal to unit a last set.

Osaka, the 16th seed, took a interruption betwixt ‌sets and past different aesculapian timeout portion starring 3-1 successful the decider, ⁠but immoderate interest was short-lived.

With her question seemingly hampered, the Japanese erstwhile satellite fig 1 responded by dialling up the strength of her crushed strokes and overwhelming Cirstea to seal the win.

The last acceptable was besides tinged with immoderate play arsenic Cirstea took contented with Osaka pumping ‌herself up by shouting, “Come on,” betwixt the Romanian’s archetypal and 2nd serves.

“[There were] seemingly a batch of ‘come ons’ that she was aggravated about. I mean I tried to play well. I deliberation I deed a batch of unforced errors, ‍but I tried my best,” Osaka said.

“She’s a large player. I deliberation this was her past Australian Open, truthful atrocious she was huffy astir it.”

Osaka faces Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis successful the 3rd round.