Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner wasted no time asserting his dominance at the Australian Open, cruising past local wildcard James Duckworth in straight sets on Thursday.

The Italian second seed dismantled Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in just one hour and 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, leaving the home player struggling to find answers.

“Every match is very difficult, so I’m very happy to be in the next round and with my performance,” Sinner said during his on-court interview.

Addressing the crowd, he added: “You have been very fair to me, so thank you very much for the support. I feel I’m in good shape—body and mind. This is a very special court and a very special tournament for me.”

Duckworth, ranked 88th, was overwhelmed from the start, with Sinner racing through a one-sided first set in just 26 minutes. The Australian showed signs of resistance in the second set, briefly taking a 2-1 lead, but the 24-year-old Italian quickly reasserted control, breaking serve in the seventh game and closing out the match comfortably.

With world number one Carlos Alcaraz and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic already through to the third round, Sinner now faces big-serving American Eliot Spizzirri, ranked 85th, as he chases a historic Melbourne Park hat-trick.

A third consecutive title would see Sinner join Djokovic as the only men in the Open Era (since 1968) to win three Australian Open crowns in a row.