Hubert Hurkacz rallied from one set down to beat Lorenzo Sonego 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-3 6-3 reaching the third round at the Australian Open for the first time in his career. After dropping the third set, Hurkacz broke Sonego four times across the final two sets.
Sonego came into the match with a 3-1 lead in his four head-to-head matches against Hurkacz. The Italian had won their most recent matches in the Vienna Round of 16 in 2020 and in Metz semifinal in 2022.
Hurkacz will face 2022 Australian Open quarter finalist Denis Shapovalov for a spot in the fourth round. Shapovalov beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.
Sonego faced a break point after a double fault at the start of the first set, but he saved it with an ace. Sonego broke serve in the second game before saving two break-back points to hold serve for 3-0 after two forehand errors from Hurkacz. The Polish player saved two break points in the fourth game. Sonego held his next service games to win the first set 6-3.
Sonego earned a break in the seventh game of the second set with a crosscourt forehand to take a 4-3 lead and held on his serve for 5-3. However, Hurkacz converted his third break-back point to draw level to 5-5 in the 10th game, as Sonego was serving for the second set. Sonego earned an early mini-break to take a 2-0 lead at the start of the tie-break, but Hurkacz won seven of the next eight points with three mini-breaks to close out the tie-break 7-3.
Sonego broke twice in the second and ninth games to close out the third set 6-2.
Hurkacz earned an early break in the first break of the fourth set after two double faults from Sonego to take a 2-0 lead. The Polish player raced out to a 5-1 lead with a double break in the fifth game, as Sonego hit a forehand into the net. Sonego pulled one of the two breaks back for 3-5 in the eighth game, but Hurkacz sealed the fourth set with another break in the ninth game.
Hurkacz broke Sonego in the second game of the fifth set to open up a 3-0 lead. The 2021 Miami Masters 1000 champion held his next service games and closed out the fifth set with his ninth game after 3 hours and 53 minutes.
“It was definitely a battle today with Lorenzo. We always have close matches. Stealing that second set helped me to gain a little momentum. Obviously Lorenzo played a good third set but from then on I knew what I needed to do in order to put myself ahead”, said Hurkacz.
