Siner: I struggled physically, but I was lucky

World number two Janik Siner pointed out that he suffered from cramps during his match with Eliot Spicieri, but that he was lucky, as the match had to be interrupted due to the roof closing.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the sets and Spicieri leading 3-1 in the third, the match had to be abandoned. It was 40 degrees in Melbourne, and the rules state that matches can be abandoned due to high temperatures in order to put up a roof on courts where one is available.

The interruption suited Siner, who was struggling with cramps at the time and sought medical attention. When the match resumed, the Italian turned things around in the third set, and then won - 4:6, 6:3, 6:4, 6:4.

"First of all, Spiciri is an incredible player, he played great today and I'm sure he will have a great season," said Siner at the start of the interview.

And then he commented on his game.

"I was struggling a bit physically, we saw that. I was lucky because they closed the roof, I gained time and I felt better as time went on. I hope this will be the wind at my back. In the tournaments I've won, there have always been some tough matches, we'll see. Thank you for your support, it meant a lot to me today."

Just before the break, Siner couldn't even reflect on his serve, and told the team that he "didn't know what to do."

"A lot of things were going through my head. It started with my foot, then it went to my hand, everywhere... It's a sport, I know that this is the segment of tennis where I need to improve. We work on it every day, the team pushes me in the right direction. However, tennis is a mental sport, I tried to stay as calm as possible, to fight and to play every point in the best possible way. I tried until the end and we saw how it ended."

The two-time consecutive champion will play against compatriot Luciano Darderi in the round of 16.

"I know I have to play in hot conditions if I want to win the title, it's like that everywhere. Let's move on, I'll do my best, now recovery is the most important thing," concluded Siner.