Defending champion Jannik Sinner has battled through illness to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, but the physical demands of Grand Slam tennis have proved too much for French veteran Gael Monfils and American teenager Learner Tien.
Iga Swiatek was in excellent shape as she continued her bid for a maiden title at Melbourne Park and sixth major by downing lucky loser Eva Lys 6-0 6-1 on Monday, but Elena Rybakina could not shake off a back problem and fell 6-3 1-6 6-3 to Madison Keys.
Monfils, 38, was forced to retire with his own back issue while trailing American young gun Ben Shelton 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 1-0, ending an inspired run at the year’s first Grand Slam after his Auckland triumph.
The stifling heat did not help defending champion Sinner when he started struggling physically in the second set of his fourth-round clash with Dane Holger Rune on a steamy afternoon at Rod Laver Arena.
The top seed did not want to go into detail on what was ailing him, but admitted to having dizzy spells before a lengthy medical timeout in the third set that proved a turning point in his 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-2 victory.
“I wasn’t feeling really well,” said 23-year-old Sinner, who equalled the Italian record set by Nicky Pietrangeli by reaching his 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal. “I think we saw that today, I was struggling physically.”
Sinner will next face home hope Alex de Minaur after he beat rising American Alex Michelsen 6-0 7-6(5) 6-3 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time.
“There is nothing I want more than to play well here in Australia. Glad I finally made it to the quarterfinals here but yeah let’s go for bigger and better things, come on!” eighth-seed de Minaur said after the Rod Laver Arena night match.
Unseeded Lorenzo Sonego made it two Italians in the quarterfinals when he defeated hobbling 19-year-old American qualifier Tien 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1, having also taken out Brazilian young gun Joao Fonseca in the second round.
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