Melbourne, Jan. 26 -- Jannik Sinner looked rejuvenated as he sailed into the quarter-finals ofthe Australian Open with an assured victory over fellow Italian Luciano Darderi.
Defending champion Sinner said himself he was "lucky" to still be competing in Melbourne after he battled 40C heat and cramping in a testing third-round match. Only coming off court and having the roof pulled over saved Sinner from a shock defeat by American world number 85 Eliot Spizzirri on Saturday, according to BBC Sport.
But the second seed looked fresher against an injury-hampered Darderi as he surged through the opening two sets, dropping just four games.
There were still some signs of fatigue, as Sinner appeared to fade late in the third set when Darderi put...