Jannik Sinner set a personal record with 19 aces as he won an all-Italian struggle with Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (2) on Monday to power into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The two-time defending champion had it all his own way in the first two sets, wrapping them up in barely an hour, But Darderi made the world No. 2 work at the end for his fourth-round victory, saving two match points in the 10th game.

Sinner sprinted ahead in the tiebreaker to advance  after two hours, nine minutes.

“It was very difficult, we are good friends off the court,” Sinner said. “I had difficulties with some opportunities I had which I could not use. So I was glad to close it out in three. 

“I started the match well, finding some pressure points.”

Sinner, coached by Aussie legend Darren Cahill, said that off-season work on his serve is showing results.

“We put in a lot of work on it, changed the motion a bit. But there is still room to improve. I’m feeling more confident with it now and happy how I’ve come into the new season.”

Sinner has never lost to a fellow Italian at the Tour level., winning all 18 matches he has played against compatriots including six at the four majors.

Fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti booked a spot in the Melbourne last eight for the first time in his career after achieving that level already in Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

The fifth-seeded father of two took revenge over Taylor Fritz, producing a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 result while competing without his coach and physio, who were forced to return to Europe for personal reasons mid-tournament.

“Real life knocks the door sometimes. It’s something surprising. It makes you understand life better. I feel more mature and I’m playing better for them!,” Musetti said

Fritz defeated the Italian two months ago at the ATP Finals in Turin.

2019 Australian junior champion Musetti earned a date with 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, who advanced in a walkover when intended opponent Jakob Mesnik withdrew with abdominal muscle problems.

Musetti fired 13 aces in victory, breaking Fritz four times, earning his first career win over a top 10 opponent on hardcourt without losing a set. He has now completed a matched set of Grand Slam quarter-finals.

.”I feel very proud, I know Taylor well, we’ve had many battles.” this month’s Hong Kong finalist said.

“I came to this match with a different mentality, my serve worked very well. This was one of the best serving performances of my career.

“My goal was to start the season well and I’ve done that. I’ve never survived the first week here. I’ve worked hard on trying to be more aggressive with the forehand.

“I took the lead in the rallies today,” he said after striking 33 winners in victory.

Emma Raducanu has handed WTA tournament organisers another in a long series of disappointments, with the fading former Grand Slam champion withdrawing on Tuesday from the Hong Kong Open.

The pullout from next week’s event in the SAR marks the fifth no-show for the British No. 55 this autumn.

Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open and has since fallen flat with injuries and seemingly endless coaching changes, looks to have all but ended her season.

She is joined on the sidelines in Hong Kong by fellow injury victim and former Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.

Raducanu has not played in well over a month, quitting mid-match with a September foot injury in South Korea and still troubled by various physical problems

She has pulled out of Chinese events in Beijing, Wuhan, Ningbo and  Guangzhou.

Raducanu is replaced in the HKG draw by American Sofia Kenin.

Emma Raducanu has quit before another tournament as injuries continue to stalk the fading British No. 54.

The 2021 US Open winner whose career has nosedived since that career-defining accomplishment has pulled out of next week’s Wuhan Open.

The Raducanu camp cited the foot injury she suffered last month in Seoul which resulted in a quarter-final mid-match withdrawal.

She then skipped the ongoing WTA 1000 in Beijing.

The rest of the season for the Chinese-Romanian 21-year-old now looks hazy.

Raducanu is entered in the Ningbo Open (October 14-20), Guangzhou Open (October 21-27) and the Hong Kong Open (October 28-November 3).