MELBOURNE: An ill Jannik Sinner was struggling to breathe and his hands were trembling in between points as Holger Rune threatened his Australian Open throne on Monday.
He regrouped and won the match in four sets anyway, advancing to the quarter-finals.
"This morning was a very strange morning because I didn't even warm up today," the world No.1 and defending champion told Nine's Jim Courier.
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"So trying to go on court as fit as I could. I knew in my mind already before the match that I would struggle today."
Sinner took the first set 6-3 but 13th seed Rune hit back with a 6-3 second set win and the Italian looked out on his feet in the third set on Rod Laver Arena.
The temperature in Melbourne on Monday reached 32 degrees and the mercury rises much higher out on court.
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Sinner was still playing at a fairly high level but was in serious strife in between games.
"Have a look at him – he looks distressed, he doesn't take water, there is no towel… he looks ill," Todd Woodbridge said on Nine.
Sinner then took a medical timeout while leading the third set 3-2.
He had his blood oxygen tested on court before leaving to get further assessed in a break that lasted nearly 12 minutes before play resumed.
Sinner's coach Darren Cahill explained some of the issues.
"Darren was kind enough to shed some light on what Jan has been experiencing today and he told me that Jannik didn't wake up feeling right," Courier revealed.
"They cancelled the warm up, so he didn't practice before the match, so he's been basically dealing with, you know, an illness of some sort today and just trying to find his way through this match."
Whatever treatment Sinner got, it did wonders as he broke Rune's serve and went on to win the third set 6-3.
In another twist, Rune took a medical timeout in the third set to get treatment on his right leg.
"Wow! This is drama central right here on Channel 9," Courier said.
"Looks like there is something wrong with the structure of the knee."
A weird and wonderful afternoon continued in the fourth set as play was delayed for nearly 20 minutes to enable repairs on a snapped bolt at the base of the net.
Sinner, now with the benefit of extra rest, would not be beaten from there.
He won the fourth set 6-2 and will play the winner of Alex de Minaur and Alex Michelsen in the quarters.
"He will look back at this match when he writes his book, regardless of what happens for the rest of this tournament, and that will be one that he will remember," Woodbridge said.
"An epic – showing guts, grit, determination, because he could have easily said: 'too hard today.'
"But he didn't. And he lives on into the tournament."
