MELBOURNE: Jannik Sinner revved up his bid for a first Grand Slam title with a straight-sets cruise into the Australian Open third round on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Italian fourth seed was on a different level from Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, racing through the match on Margaret Court Arena 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in just 1 hour 43 minutes.
"He's a very good player, a young player and I'm sure he will play many more Grand Slam main draw matches," said Sinner of De Jong, gracious in victory.
He will next face either Argentine 26th seed Sebastian Baez or Colombia's unseeded Daniel Elahi Galan.
Sinner enjoyed a breakthrough 2023, winning his first Masters title, in Toronto, and reaching the championship match against Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals.
It has sparked expectations that it is only a matter of time before he wins a major. --AFP
