Defending champion Jannik Sinner battled dizzy spells Monday in energy-sapping heat to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, admitting a long interruption when he accidentally broke the net was "big, big luck".
The world No 1 dropped a set before coming home 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Danish 13th seed Holger Rune on Rod Laver Arena with both men needing medical attention.
Sinner struggled in the muggy conditions, his hand visibly shaking and his heart rate taken in the third set before he left court for a medical timeout.
Rune needed attention to a sore right knee in the same set.
They then had a bizarre 20-minute delay when Sinner demolished the metal brace that secures the net to the floor with a thunderous serve early in set four.
"I was not feeling really well. You know, I think we saw that I was struggling physically," said Sinner, 23, who is bidding to become the first Italian man to win three Grand Slam crowns.
He refused to say exactly what was wrong with him, only that he was "not there health-wise" and had been "a bit dizzy at times".
"I don't want to go into details. I think it was, you know, then also with the pressure and everything, it was not easy."
He admitted that the time off court in air-conditioning while officials repaired the net helped him refresh.
"I was lucky that...20 minutes off court, you know, trying to get back physically, putting some cold water in my head, it was very helpful. It was big, big luck to me."
The win put him into a clash against Australia's big hope, eighth seed Alex de Minaur.
The Italian is bidding to defend a Grand Slam title for the first time after winning the first of his two majors in Melbourne last year, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Labouring
As temperatures rose above 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) for a second successive day, Sinner stamped his authority on the match by breaking to love, with Rune hitting four consecutive errors.
Sinner's serve was iron-clad and there was no sniff for the Dane, who went a set down in 33 minutes.
But a Sinner double-fault in the eighth game of set two handed Rune a break, allowing him to hold and level the match as he began to find his rhythm.
It was the second set Sinner had dropped in the tournament, having not done so in 13 previous matches.
Sinner clung on to hold in an epic game three in the third set, which included a remarkable 37-shot rally that the Italian won to save break point.
He gave Rune another break point at 2-2 with a double fault, but again saved, yet he was laboring.
At the changeover, a doctor checked him and he went off for a medical timeout.
Sinner returned and slogged through a testing 14-point eighth game to break for 5-3 before sealing the set.
After the delay while the net was fixed, he produced a top-notch forehand winner to break for 2-1 in the fourth set and there was no way back for a tiring Rune.
MONDAY’S RESULTS
Men's 4th round
Jannik Sinner (ITA x1) bt Holger Rune (DEN x13) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Alex De Minaur (AUS x8) bt Alex Michelsen (USA) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3
Ben Shelton (USA x21) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/2), 1-0 ret
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Learner Tien (USA) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Women's 4th round
Madison Keys (USA x19) bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x6) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR x28) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-4, 6-1
Emma Navarro (USA x8) bt Daria Kasatkina (RUS x9) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
Iga Swiatek (POL x2) bt Eva Lys (GER) 6-0, 6-1
QUARTERFINALS
Men
Tommy Paul (USA x12) v Alexander Zverev (GER x2)
Novak Djokovic (SRB x7) v Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x3)
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) v Ben Shelton (USA x21)
Jannik Sinner (ITA x1) v Alex de Minaur (AUS x8)
Women
Coco Gauff (USA x3) v Paula Badosa (ESP x11)
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x1) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x27)
Madison Keys (USA x19) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x28)
Iga Swiatek (POL x2) v Emma Navarro (USA x8)
