Sinner breezes past Duckworth & Osaka defeats Cirstea

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY 5 OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN ACTION, WITH WINS FOR JANNICK SINNER, NAOMI OSAKA, ELENA RYBAKINA, CASPER RUUD, TAYLOR FRITZ, NIKOLA BARTUNKOVA AND TEREZA VALENTOVA FULL SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT TO FOLLOW SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 22, 2026) (TENNIS AUSTRALIA – See restrictions) JAMES DUCKWORTH (WHITE / AUSTRALIA) V JANNICK SINNER (GREEN / ITALY) NAOMI OSAKA (GREEN / JAPAN) V SORANA CIRSTEA (PURPLE / ROMANIA) ELENA RYBAKINA (BLUE / KAZAKHSTAN) V  VARVARA GRACHEVA (YELLOW / FRANCE) X. VARVARA GRACHEVA HITTING A FOREHAND WINNER DOWN THE LINE IN THE FIRST SET / GRACHEVA'S TEAM CELEBRATING / CROWD APPLAUDING Y. ELENA RYBAKINA HTTING A CROSS COURT FOREHAND WINNER IN THE FIRST SET Z. SET POINT – GRACHEVA HITTING OUT TO HAND RYBAKINA THE FIRST SET X. RYBAKINA HITTING A BACKHAND WINNER DOWN THE LINE IN THE SECOND SET Y. MATCH POINT – RYBAKINA HITTING A BACKHAND RETURN TO WIN THE SECOND SET AND THE MATCH / PLAYERS EMBRACING AT THE NET JAUME MUNAR (ORANGE / SPAIN) V CASPER RUUD (BLUE / NORWAY)  X. SET POINT – JAUME MUNAR HITTING A DROPSHOT INTO THE NET TO HAND CASPER RUUD THE FIRST SET VIT KOPRIVA (WHITE / CZECH REPUBLIC) V  TAYLOR FRITZ (GREEN / USA) X. SET POINT – TAYLOR FRITZ ADVANCES TO HIT A FOREHAND WINNER TO TAKE THE SECOND SET / FRITZ'S TEAM APPLAUDING Y. MATCH POINT – VIT KOPRIVA RETURNING LONG TO HAND FRITZ THE THIRD SET AND THE MATCH NIKOLA BARTUNKOVA (ORANGE / CZECH REPUBLIC) V BELINDA BENCIC (WHITE / SWITZERLAND) X. SET POINT – BELINDA BENCIC HITTING BACKHAND WINNER AT THE NET TO TAKE THE SECOND SET Y. MATCH POINT – BENCIC HITTING INTO THE NET TO HAND NIKOLA BARTUNKOVA THE THIRD SET AND THE MATCH / BARTUNKOVA CELEBRATING / CROWD CHEERING / PLAYERS EMBRACING AT THE NET LINDA FRUHVIRTOVA (GREEN / CZECH REPUBLIC) V TEREZA VALENTOVA (WHITE & BLUE / CZECH REPUBLIC) X. MATCH POINT – LINDA FRUHVIRTOVA HITTING OUT TO HAND TEREZA VALENTOVA THE SECOND SET AND THE MATCH / VALENTOVA CELEBRATING STORY: Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner outclassed home wildcard James Duckworth 6-1 6-4 6-2 to stroll into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday (January 22). The Italian world number two was in no mood for an extended shift on Rod Laver Arena as he set up a clash with American Eliot Spizzirri. It was Sinner's 27th successive Tour-level victory against Australian players, his last defeat against one coming against Duckworth in Toronto in 2021. A repeat of that never looked likely though as Sinner produced an immaculate display. From the moment he landed a backhand winner in the corner to break Duckworth's serve in the fourth game he was in control. Sinner claimed the first set in 26 minutes and although Duckworth offered more resistance in the second, the Italian's controlled power and placement was too much for his 34-year-old opponent who has never gone past the second round. The end came quickly as Sinner claimed a 12th successive match win without dropping a set, finishing off a one-sided contest with an ace. Meanwhile, American ninth seed Taylor Fritz, a Melbourne quarter-finalist in 2024, made light work of Czech Vit Kopriva, cruising to a 6-1 6-4 7-6(4) victory. The 28-year-old, a U.S. Open runner-up in 2024, will next face three-times major winner Stan Wawrinka. In the women's contest, four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who lifted the Australian Open trophy in 2019 and 2021, recovered from a second-set blip to defeat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3 4-6 6-2. (Production: Suramya Kaushik)

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