Australian Open: ‘Lucky’ Jannik Sinner saved by heat rule, rallies past American Eliot Spizzirri

American Eliot Spizzirri is seeking answers relating to the timing of a heat rule that snuffed out noticeable momentum during Saturday’s third-round, four-set loss to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open.

Up a break at 3-1 in the third inside Rod Laver Arena after splitting the first two sets, Spizzirri was in disbelief with Sinner reeling from cramps after tournament officials briefly suspended play due to excessive heat. As Sinner hobbled near the baseline battling cramps in his arms and legs, the Australian Open’s heat stress scale hit 5.0 on the court, triggering a play stoppage to close the roof in an attempt to cool things off a bit.

Sinner, the two-time defending Australian Open champion, left the court and made the most of a 10-minute recovery window with hydration, electrolyte reinforcements and cooling towels. After two hours on the court and the match turning in his direction, Spizzirri was direct following a main draw debut in Melbourne defined by sweltering temperatures.

“I’m not going to sit here and blame the rules because they are there for everyone, but I was just astonished at the timing of the scale hitting 5.0 exactly when it did,” Spizzirri said.

The physical recalibration of sorts is just what Sinner needed after he recovered following the break to take the third set before moving on with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

“It felt like he was given a lifeline when he was physically finished and as a player, that is a very tough pill to swallow when you have the momentum,” Spizzirri said. 

Australian Open’s heat stress scale 

Spizzirri’s aggressive style led to a first-set win featuring an array of forehand winners and extended rallies. Matched up with the world’s second-ranked player, No. 85 Spizzirri continued to put Sinner on his heels thereafter even after losing the second set and with spirited play to open the third.

That’s when fatigue began taking over for Sinner, who was slow getting to the corners and grimaced before play was suspended. However, Sinner won five of the next six games when play resumed in the third after the “cooling break” and he returned to near flawless execution with baseline volleys the rest of the nearly four-hour match.

Sinner didn’t look comfortable against the former University of Texas star until the roof closed and humidity dissipated. 

“The momentum shift was incredible, it was like playing completely different person,” Spizzirri said. “He went from barely being able to walk to hitting lines and serving at his normal speeds. I have to find a way to finish those matches regardless of whether the roof is open or closed and that’s on me.”

Prior to play stoppage, Sinner had already lost as many service games to Spizzirri as he did during the entirety of last year’s dominant performance at the Australian Open.

“I struggled physically today (and) got lucky with the heat rule,” Sinner said. “As the time passed, I felt better and better.”

Ben Shelton on cruise control

Sinner is one of three Italian men to advance to the fourth round and will play one of them next in Luciano Darderi. Four Americans remain on the men’s side entering Saturday’s action — Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Learner Tien.

Shelton, who’s gunning for his first grand slam, hasn’t dropped a set in Melbourne.

“I think that, you know, the best that I’ve played at a Slam was up until I got injured at the US Open last summer,” Shelton said after his third-round win over Valentin Vacherot, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5). “I think that this is probably second, but to be in the form that I’m in as early as it is in the year is really encouraging.”

Shelton’s playing his best tennis since being forced to withdraw at the US Open last summer with a shoulder injury in the fifth set of a third-round thriller.

From his powerful serve to wicked forehand winners down the line, Shelton showed a little bit of everything during his first week on the hard court.

“I think that there’s a lot of things that I am doing really well, improvements that I made, and maybe small pieces that I’m doing better than I was doing last summer,” Shelton said this week. “But in terms of just being in a flow state, completely confident, and knowing what I’m doing on the court, all the nuances of return of serve, using continental skills on the stretch, defense to offense, I was probably just in a little bit better rhythm with all that stuff last summer.

“But I think that I’m serving much better now. I think that the way that I’m able to flatten out the forehand and change speeds on the backhand with the slice, topspin, and flat balls, I’ve seen improvements, for sure.”