Jannik Sinner has halted Thanasi Kokkinakis' five-match winning streak on the Australian's home court in Adelaide - but not before the world No.15 suffered a significant test from the local star.
The sixth-seeded Italian required just over two hours to claim a 7-6(2) 6-4 victory at the Adelaide International 1 tournament, setting up a quarterfinal showdown with Sebastian Korda.
At world No.93, Kokkinakis is ranked 78 places below the highly touted Sinner, but little separated the two players in a tight first set.
Competing with the authority that saw him claim a breakthrough first ATP title in Adelaide last summer, Kokkinakis was also creating opportunities, earning seven break points in the opener on Sinner's serve.
But struggling to convert them would ultimately prove costly, the Italian striking first to take a 5-3 lead. A determined Kokkinakis broke back to stay in the contest but when it progressed to a tiebreak, Sinner raised his level and after 71 minutes, secured the set.
From there, he showed the sturdiness that took him to top-10 heights as a 20-year-old in late 2021.
Encouraged from the sidelines by coach Darren Cahill, another South Australian, the now 21-year-old Sinner gained an early second-set service break and this time consolidated.
Kokkinakis continued to challenge but couldn't find an opening. With Sinner's first serve increasingly potent, he maintained his lead to close out the match with consecutive aces.
"It's tough to play against him," said Sinner, who improved his record over Kokkinakis to two wins from two matches, after a three-set win over the Australian in Cincinnati last year.
"It was a tough match, especially in the beginning ... there was not a lot of rhythm, but then I raised my level, especially in the tiebreak. I'm very happy about the performance."
There was better news for Australia's Storm Hunter in the women's doubles tournament, with the local player teaming with Czech Katerina Siniakova to defeat Miriam Kolodziejova and Marketa Vondrousova 6-1 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Hunter and Siniakova meet Belarusian pair Lidziya Marozava and Aryna Sabalenka next.
The Adelaide International, a combined ATP 250 and WTA 500 event, is part of a two-week Adelaide Festival of Tennis. The festival includes back-to-back tournaments and concludes on 14 January.
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AUSSIES IN ACTION - Adelaide
TODAY'S RESULTS
Men's singles, second round
[WC] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v [6] Jannik Sinner (ITA)
Women's doubles, quarterfinals
[1] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) d Miriam Kolodziejova (CZE)/Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 6-1 6-2
COMING UP
Men's singles, quarterfinals
[Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)
Women's doubles, semifinals
[1] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) v Lidziya Marozava/Aryna Sabalenka
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