Sinner Seals Second-Round Spot at Australian Open as Opponent Forced to Retire

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Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner secured his place in the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday, dominating France's Hugo Gaston before his opponent was forced to retire due to injury. Sinner, the two-time defending champion, led 6-2, 6-1 when Gaston called it quits after just 68 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. Sinner's victory sets him up for a potential showdown with Australian qualifier James Duckworth or Dino Prizmic of Croatia in the next round. The 24-year-old Italian reflected on his performance, saying, 'I saw that he was not serving at pace. It's not the way you want to win the match, but he's such a talented player. I knew I had to play at a high level and be aggressive, which I did.' Sinner's path to victory was not without its challenges. He struggled initially, falling 40-0 down on his serve in the first game before rallying with three aces to hold. However, he quickly asserted his dominance over Gaston, winning the first set in just 37 minutes. Despite a brief medical timeout between sets, Sinner's grip on the match only tightened. He romped through the second set, ultimately forcing Gaston to concede. A win in three consecutive Australian Open titles would make Sinner the only man in the Open era to achieve this feat, joining Novak Djokovic in this exclusive club.