Defending Australian Open champion Janik Siner advanced to the second round of the Melbourne tournament today, after Ugo Gaston surrendered the match to him after two sets.
At the time of surrender, Siner was leading 2:0 in sets (6:2, 6:1).
"Ugo wasn't feeling well, it was especially noticeable in the second set. I think I was moving well, I played easy and very well from the start. I tried to gain an advantage as soon as possible. I always feel good here, the atmosphere is always great," Siner said after the match.
In the first game, Gaston had three break points, but he did not take advantage of them, so the rest of the match was dominated by Siner.
The 2024 and 2025 Australian Open champion took advantage of every opportunity he got, winning the first break points in the sixth game, which he did not miss, leading 4:2, then winning two more games and leading 1:0 in sets.
After the first set, Gaston sought medical attention, and then played the second set in which Siner easily took a 5:0 lead and calmly brought that part of the game to an end, only for the Frenchman to surrender.
The Italian will play in the second round against the winner of the duel between James Duckworth and Dino Prižmić.
Siner played his first official match in 2026.
"The preparations took a long time, today's tennis is increasingly demanding. I played a few exhibition matches, but official matches are different. I'm happy with how I started today. I have to keep going. I'm enjoying these moments," concluded Siner.
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