Stefanos Tsitsipas holds off Jannik Sinner to set up quarter-final showdown with Jiri Lehecka at Australian Open

ByEurosport

Updated 22/01/2023 at 13:10 GMT

Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Jannik Sinner in a pulsating five-setter at the last-16 stage of the Australian Open to progress to the quarter-final at the first Grand Slam of the year for the fourth time in his career. Next up for Tsitsipas after his four-hour slog with Sinner is Jiri Lehecka in the last eight, who has beaten Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime in a breakout display at a major.

Watch moment Tsitsipas beats Sinner after five-set epic in marathon clash

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Jannik Sinner 6-4 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 to progress to the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open after a titanic tussle on Rod Laver Arena.

Tsitsipas beat Sinner in straight sets at the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open last year, and held a 4-1 advantage over the Italian in their head-to-head coming into the contest.

And the Greek opened up a two-set lead in a showing of breathtaking efficiency, the world No. 4 converting all three of his break opportunities in the first two sets while Sinner could only take two of seven.

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However, Tsitsipas’s intensity dropped at the start of the third and Sinner capitalised to send the match to a fourth, and one break of serve from Sinner was enough to send it to a final-set shootout.

But Sinner was unable to sustain his form in the fifth and Tsitsipas secured the decisive break in the sixth game of the decider to seal his progression to the next round.

Next up for Tsitsipas is a quarter-final showdown against Jiri Lehecka, who beat Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime in rounds three and four.

"It was a long match guys," said Tsitsipas after the match.

"I felt I spent an entire century on this court playing tennis. So long, I mean what a great night [huge cheers]. That was a ripper as they say here."

Tsitsipas gains crucial break over Sinner in second set with stunning passing shot

Tsitsipas beat Sinner twice in 2022 – in Melbourne and the Rome Masters – and came into their last-16 clash on Rod Laver Arena as the favourite, with the No. 3 seed serving for the first set after just 43 minutes.

The Greek star took advantage as errors crept into Sinner's game as the opening set progressed, and this was best encapsulated by a wild, wide forehand from the Italian on the second set point that Tsitsipas had fashioned.

Ultimately, it was Tsitsipas’s efficiency in break situations that earned him the lead – he took two from two, while Sinner converted just one of the six he had crafted.

And, when Tsitsipas converted his third break point of the match in the third game of the second set, Sinner looked in real trouble at a set and a break down.

The Italian would break immediately back to get level on serve again, but Tsitsipas would break to love – behind some excellent volleying at the net – in the ninth game of the second to once more seize the initiative. The Greek would then, despite a wobble or two that included a time violation warning, serve it out to open up a two-set lead.

Tsitsipas, at this stage, had played 11 sets and won all 11 of them in a hugely impressive demonstration of his talent at the first Grand Slam of the year.

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece plays a forehand during the fourth round singles match against Jannik Sinner of Italy during day seven of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.

Image credit: Getty Images

Sinner had already come from two sets down once already in Melbourne Park in 2023 – against Marton Fucsovics in round three – but Tsitsipas, a three-time semi-finalist at the Australian Open, was a step up in calibre.

However, the third set saw a dramatic drop off in intensity and quality from Tsitsipas, and it was Sinner who capitalised.

The Italian just about held his error-strewn first service game, and when he passed on four break point opportunities to take the initiative in the set in the next game, it looked like a chance missed. However, he would then hold to 15, before breaking as Tsitsipas’s unforced error count rose at an alarming rate.

Sinner was now firmly in the ascendancy and while he passed on three set points on the Tsitsipas serve in game eight, he would seal the set to love in the next.

The Italian fought back from two sets down for the first time in his career against Fucsovics in the previous round, and when he secured a break in the third game of the fourth, he looked primed to give himself the opportunity to double that tally.

Tsitsipas would defend three break points in games five and seven of the fourth set – meaning Sinner had taken just four of 26 break opportunities he had created while Tsitsipas had converted four of his five – but the Italian would see the set out to trigger a one-set shootout with the momentum behind him.

'Momentum with Sinner' as he takes fourth set against Tsitsipas in thriller

Yet, three unforced errors in game four of the decider left the door ajar for Tsitsipas to re-take control of the match, but Sinner defended them to hold and keep the final set on serve at two games each.

However, after a Tsitsipas hold, Sinner would again cough up three break points on his serve; he would defend the first two, but a long forehand from the Italian would see the Greek star take the crucial break.

And it was a decisive break that Tsitsipas would capitalise on, holding to 15 in both his service games that followed to secure his passage to the last eight.