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Paolo Bertolucci shocks Jannik Sinner and raises the'alarm

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At the columns of the Gazzetta dello Sport, Paolo Bertolucci praised Luciano Darderi for his progress so far at the Australian Open: “His incredible growth surprises me greatly. The boy was a slow court player who had rarely tamed hard surfaces. By the second half of 2025 he had shown obvious improvement. The fact that he won in Melbourne certifies a player who has broadened his disposition and is poised to become competitive anywhere”.

Ernesto VillaJannik Sinner cramping up but the “Heat Rule” saves him: photos

Jannik Sinner had it really bad against Eliot Spizzirri, in the match valid for the third round of the Australian Open
The world number two overcame the'American in four sets (4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4) after three hours and three quarters of pure suffering.
After losing the first partial, the South Tyrolean champion puts the match back on even footing but in the third set everything happens
Down 2-1, the'Azure starts to feel cramps and gets a massage to his right calf from the physiotherapist during the changeover

Devastating cramps hit Sinner: they start in the calf and go up to the arms and hands.
The'Blue goes down 3-1 in the third set as the Melbourne heat becomes unbearable.
The'heat index rises to 4.9 and the match is suspended to close the roof according to the "Heat Rule" which takes into account parameters such as temperature, humidity and heat.
Roof closure proves to be the decisive turning point for Sinner’s recovery.
On the comeback Sinner signs a partial of four consecutive games demonstrating extraordinary mental strength.
L'azzurro closes on serve the third set 6-4 completely overturning the'inertia of the match.
"I struggled physically, I started with leg cramps and they extended to my arms" said Jannik at the end of the game.
I was lucky with the closing of the roof" concluded Sinner who qualified to the round of 16 where he will face Luciano Darderi in an all-Italian derby.

Paolo Bertolucci then focused on Jannik Sinner and the difficulties faced by the South Tyrolean in his challenge with Eliot Spizzirri: “After two matches on velvet, I had pointed out for Sinner the unknown and dangerousness in going from the cool evening to the scorching early afternoon, and the explosion of heat and humidity led him to a situation unfortunately not new to him, seen in Shanghai, with cramps due to tension that seemed to bring him one step away from raising the white flag of retirement”.

“Someone from above loves him and at the most critical moment the suspension of the match came to the rescue– continued Bertolucci -. Jannik was able to take advantage of the break and come back in a new version and without overpowering problems. But now he will have to work to free his head from this sword of Damocles. The causes of the problem need to be understood and solved”.

Monday Jannik Sinner will face Luciano Darderi in the challenge valid for the fourth round of the Australian Open: “Playing against Sinner represents a gift– the Argentine-born champion said in a press conference. Right now Jannik and Carlos are the dominators of the circuit, so it will be a beautiful experience. I will try to give my best while staying focused on myself”.

Darderi earned the challenge against Jannik Sinner after beating Karen Khachanov with a final score of 7-6 3-6 6-3 6-4 after nearly three and a half hours of play. The champion then wanted to dedicate the victory to Cristian Garin, who recently lost his father Sergio: “The dedication came from my heart: we are friends, we train together and we have the same athletic trainer. He is a good person, he is going through a difficult time and I wanted to let him know that we are close to him. I am sure he will come back stronger than before.”

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