World number one Jannik Sinner came from behind to reach the Australian Open second round.
The Italian found himself trailing against Tristan Schoolkate, who was roared on by his home fans inside Rod Laver Arena.
He struggled with the swirling breeze at times and the attacking game of the wildcard player who was looking to finish some points at the net.
But Sinner found a way to turn the tables on his latest opponent and complete a four-set victory to advance to contour his title defence at Melbourne Park.
What did Jannik Sinner say about the Australian Open crowd on Rod Laver Arena?
Jannik Sinner needed four sets to get past Tristan Schoolkate to book a spot in round three of the Australian Open.
The Rod Laver crowd were enthralled by the performance of the World number 173, and he looked very comfortable playing in the biggest match of his career so far.
But the spectators’ excitement soon cooled as the two-time Grand Slam winner raised his level and used his experience to swiftly turn the tables in his favour and complete a four-set win.
There has been plenty of talk about the nature of some crowds at the Australian Open, which have been criticised by some fans online.
Post-match Sinner shared his thoughts on the crowd inside Rod Laver Arena, a stadium Nick Kyrgios once said he prefers not to play in.
“I felt like he was serving really well. He was playing much better at the beginning than I was,” he said. “With the crowd it was an amazing atmosphere. Thank you so much for coming as always.
“It’s a very special place, especially for the Australians to play here with the home crowd but I still have to be happy with my performance. Never taking things for granted. I am glad to be again in the next round.”
Jannik Sinner comments on the conditions after reaching Australian Open third round
Sinner played against Schoolkate for the first time and he was certainly forced to raise his level after the first set.
The Italian was not at his best throughout the contest, perhaps due to his failure to quickly adjust to the conditions on Wednesday.
Sinner struggled with the breeze at times which he admitted after the contest, but he is happy to be safely through to the hatred round, where he will play America’s Marcos Giron.
“I feel every tournament there is someone who comes in and plays very well. Every round here is very tough,” he said. “Everyone who is in the first or second or third round deserves to be there.
“It was a very tough match. I can improve, yes. We saw today I was struggling a bit with the wind, it was quite breezy. But I will take it. It was a good chance also to have the honour to play in the night session on such a beautiful court so it was amazing.”
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