Melbourne, Jan 22 : World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, No. 9 Taylor Fritz, and Japanese star Naomi Osaka secured victories in their second-round matches on the fifth day of the Australian Open to storm into the third round of the first Grand Slam of the season.

While Sinner defeated wild-card entrant James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 49 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena, Fritz beat the Czech Republicâ??s Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4) in an hour and 58 minutes at the John Cain Arena in the night session.

Osaka, who stunned her fans with a head-turning entry onto the court wearing a veil and carrying a white umbrella in her campaign opener, overcame Romaniaâ??s Sorana Cirstea in a close three-setter.

Sinner maintained his steady progress towards a possible third consecutive Australian Open title on Thursday, demonstrating precise and efficient play. The second seed was unstoppable, extending his perfect 9-0 record against Australian players at Grand Slam tournaments.

The Italian encountered minimal difficulty on his serve, successfully nullifying all three break points he faced, and confirmed a third-round match against American Eliot Spizzirri.

Although the beginning of the year hasn't been very convincing for the former world number four, Fritz demonstrated his skill on the court. He started aggressively, quickly securing the first set, and faced a bit more resistance in the second. Throughout the match, he remained in control, even as his Czech opponent's intensity increased and approached Fritz's level.

The former quarter-finalist was all in to secure his spot in the third round for the third year in a row. Fritz, recognised for his powerful serve, hit 15 aces compared to Kopriva's three. He successfully converted 79% of his first serves and efficiently broke his opponent four times out of seven opportunities.

In the womenâ??s game, Osaka demonstrated that timing was crucial for her success. For the second consecutive match, she was pushed to three sets. Each time, she raised her level at the right moments, ultimately defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in exactly two hours.

The outcome was a revenge years in the making. In 2015, a 17-year-old from Osaka debuted in Grand Slam qualifying at Wimbledon, facing Cirstea, a former Top 30 player returning from injury. Cirstea won that match 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Interestingly, they did not face each other again until this week.

The World No. 16 will next encounter the only remaining home player in the women's draw, Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, as she aims to reach the Australian Open fourth round for the first time since winning the title in 2021.

/IANS