Duckworth survives five-set marathon to earn date with defending champ Sinner
James Duckworth defeated Dino Prizmic 7-6 (4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday night
Image Credit: AI / Reuters / Panoramic
In a grueling contest that electrified the local crowd on Court 6, Australian wildcard James Duckworth overcame a mid-match collapse to defeat Croatian lucky loser Dino Prizmic 7-6 (4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday night. The victory, which lasted four hours and 22 minutes, marks the sixth time in his career that the 33-year-old Duckworth has reached the second round in Melbourne.
Currently ranked number 88 in the world, Duckworth now faces the ultimate challenge in the round of 64: a meeting with world number 2 and defending champion Jannik Sinner.
Sinner leads their professional head-to-head 2-1, with their last official encounter occurring in 2021. For Duckworth, this second-round match represents an opportunity to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the first time in his 16 appearances at the tournament.
