A match that never really was: Jannik Sinner moves on after Hugo Gaston calls it quits

Jannik Sinner looked very comfortable on court in his first round match against Hugo Gaston. The two-time reigning Australian Open champion took a 6-2, 6-1 lead before his opponent was forced to retire.

While it would not be the way Sinner would have liked to finish the match, the signs are good from the early stages that he is in imperious form, with his opponent not being able to get within touching distance of the world number two.

Sinner did what he had to do, winning 86% of his first serve points while dropping just three games in a truly domineering start to his title defence at Melbourne Park.

It was a bit of a sketchy start for the four-time Grand Slam champion, who found himself 0-40 down in the every early stages. Not to worry, as he went and won the next five points in a row to prevent a surprise break in the first game.

He then took full control of the match, dictating the play while Gaston rushed around to try and keep pace. He was staying firm and not offering too much on the serve. That was until Sinner upped the gears and created a whole host of break point opportunities in the sixth game. He managed to eventually get the job done. This was the second game of four won on the trot for Sinner, who wrapped up the first set on Gaston's serve.

This was made nine games in a row as Gaston really started to struggle. It was a walk in the park for Sinner who comfortably held before breaking to go 2-0 ahead. That pattern occurred as he went 4-0 ahead after taking too breaks from two chances in clinical fashion. He could not bagel the 25-year-old who grabbed a final game before Sinner closed out the second set.

In the end, that would be the final point of the match with Gaston calling it a day due to not feeling well enough on the court, despite moving freely. It was a sad way to end the match, with Gaston looking distraught while Sinner comforted him.

The match just took 67 minutes, and will not implement any fatigue on Sinner for the rest of the tournament. He will take on wither wildcard James Duckworth or lucky loser Dino Prizmic.