Sinner credited his luck for narrowly escaping the heat-related ordeal, while voices defending Wu Yibing began to emerge.

What many expected to be the biggest upset in the men's singles was ultimately prevented by Sinner!

Before the match against Spizzirri, if anyone predicted that Sinner would encounter major difficulties, most would have dismissed that as madness. Who is Sinner? The new hard court king, famously dubbed the tennis AI, with a level of steadiness that’s almost hopelessly impressive.

However, this match, which was widely seen as an easy win for Sinner over Spizzirri, unexpectedly turned into a thrilling drama.

Even though Sinner lost the first set 4-6, he bounced back to take the second 6-3, but then the third set started disastrously with him trailing 1-3.

Many believed Sinner was likely to be upset because the high temperature affected his movement and baseline shots, forcing the Italian to rely on defensive shots just to keep the rally going, which was quite exhausting.

Just as everyone was eager to see how Spizzirri might seize the chance to eliminate the defending champion and clear the path for Djokovic, the Australian Open’s heat policy kicked in, closing the roof and pausing the match, which suddenly changed everything.

When play resumed, the revitalized Sinner not only survived the most dangerous moments but also reversed the match after four sets, leaving some spectators and netizens disappointed as the anticipated upset turned into a stirring victory for Sinner. Sympathy also shifted toward Djokovic, as his toughest rival in the section barely escaped disaster. It seems the Serbian star will need more than luck to claim his 25th Grand Slam; he must conquer Melbourne through sheer strength.

After being shaken by Spizzirri, Sinner praised his opponent, saying, “Spizzirri played exceptionally well today. I’m sure he will have a very strong season this year.”

From the Italian’s remarks, it’s clear he was still shaken by the ordeal. Without the heat policy intervention, whether he could have made it through is seriously questionable.

“I was lucky today because of the heat rules—the roof was closed. As time passed, I felt better in the match. Every major tournament has tough matches. I hope the upcoming matches bring some positive moments.” When Sinner credited his escape to the Australian Open’s heat policy and emphasized his luck, some bluntly said that it seems the Italian has secured his spot as the new master of Melbourne Park; otherwise, how could his luck be so good?

How tough was Sinner’s situation? He said after the match that at first his legs and arms hurt, and by the end, his whole body was aching.

Although Sinner’s ability to fend off Spizzirri in such harsh conditions shows his strong personal skills, some questioned the Australian Open’s decision to implement the heat policy—accusing it of deliberately favoring Sinner to help him reach the final and achieve a three-peat, making this young player’s glory even brighter.

These suspicions are not baseless, as some netizens directly asked why the heat policy was applied exactly when Sinner was cramping and behind, rather than during set breaks. This move was seen as a clear attempt to indirectly assist Sinner.

This is precisely why voices defending Wu Yibing began to surface.

Some said that in Wu Yibing’s match against Spizzirri, the former top Chinese player faced a situation at least 70-80% similar to Sinner’s, yet the Australian Open did not activate the heat policy, even though the temperature also reached 40 degrees that day. If the match had been paused then, Wu Yibing might have survived the tough moment like Sinner did. Could he have been the one to face the defending champion across the net? In that case, with Spizzirri’s sudden troubles, Wu might have pulled off a major upset, creating the biggest shock in the Australian Open men’s singles.

Of course, when this stirred debate, some argued that it’s not certain the Australian Open showed favoritism toward Sinner at crucial moments; instead, blame should also be placed on Spizzirri for failing to capitalize.

When Sinner started cramping and his movement and shot quality dropped noticeably, many fans and netizens exclaimed how Spizzirri suddenly seemed unable to play well. Besides unstable serving, his baseline rallies lacked angles and mostly went down the middle, combined with frequent errors, indirectly giving Sinner more chances to recover.

After the roof closed and the match paused, the refreshed Sinner naturally gave Spizzirri no more opportunities. It can only be said that Spizzirri’s ability to seize chances was poor or that he was too lenient.

Regarding the voices defending Wu Yibing, some humorously remarked there’s no point complaining since Wu is not a star player and the match wasn’t held on a main court; otherwise, things might have been different and he could possibly have reached the second week of the Australian Open.

Having narrowly passed the Spizzirri hurdle, many believe Sinner’s chances to defend his title have increased. Facing compatriot Darderi next, after this heat ordeal, the team surely has prepared strategies, boosting the likelihood of Sinner advancing smoothly.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonriver’s Starry Sky)