Sinner Qualifies For Australian Open Second Round

Jannik Sinner recorded a 6-2 6-1 win over Hugo Gaston to qualify for the Australian Open second round on Tuesday.

It was a smooth-sailing encounter for the Italian as Gaston retired due to injury early in the encounter after losing the first two sets 6-2 6-1.

Gaston had brief treatment between sets but he could not continue after the second set.

Sinner will take on James Duckworth or Dino Prizmic of Croatia in the second round.

The World number two expressed his sympathy for Gaston following his early retirement in the encounter.

Sinner said: “I saw that he was not serving at pace. It’s not the way you want to win the match, but he’s such a talented player.

“So I knew from the beginning that I had to play a very high level and was trying to be as aggressive as possible, which I’ve done.

“I’m very happy to be back here, it’s a very special place for me.”

Sinner is aiming to become the fourth player to win three consecutive men’s titles at the Australian Open.

In the women’s category, Madison Keys defeated the style of Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6 (6), 6-1 to advance to the second round of the tournament.

She produced a battling performance to emerge victorious after losing her first four games to the debutant.

Keys described the encounter as stressful in her return to the tournament after winning it in 2025.

She said: “I’ve been thinking about this moment for basically a year. The moment they say, ‘Ready, play’, it all hits you in a way that I don’t think you can ever really explain.

“As nerve-racking and stressful as that can be, I’m still reminding myself of just how few people get to be in that moment.

“Being able to walk out today and have the crowd be as welcoming as they were, I’ll take the stress any day.”

Belinda Bencic also earned a 6-0 7-5 win over Katie Boulter to qualify for the second round.