Sinner overcomes cramps, heat to continue Australian Open title defense. Djokovic gets 400th win

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Limping and desperately trying to stretch out cramps in his arms and legs, Jannik Sinner had just gone down a break in the third set when the extreme heat rules saved him.

Play was suspended for eight minutes while the roof was closed on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday afternoon, and the two-time defending Australian Open champion returned a revitalized man.

After being on the verge of an unlikely exit — one of his coaches, Darren Cahill, was urging the 24-year-old Italian just to stick it out for a few more games — Sinner won five of the next six games to take the set against No. 85-ranked Eliot Spizzirri.

Another 10-minute "cooling break" between the third and fourth sets followed — an allowance under the extreme heat policy — and Sinner returned for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory that highlighted a dramatic contrast of intense light and shade.

“I struggled physically today. I got lucky with the heat rule," Sinner said, agreeing that the cooler indoor conditions suited him much more than the energy-sapping heat of the first two sets. “I try to stay calm even in a moment like this. If he keeps playing the way he was playing, maybe I was dropping a little bit, maybe my tournament was over today. I don’t know."

Spizzirri was magnanimous about it, adding: “ That’s the rules of the game, and, you know, you got to live with it.”

Novak Djokovic became the first player ever to notch 400 match wins at the majors when he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a night match.

The 24-time major winner improved his win-loss record to 102-10 at the Australian Open, equaling Roger Federer’s career haul for the most-ever match wins at the season’s first major.

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew because of an abdominal injury before her scheduled third-round match against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, ending a campaign noted strikingly for fashion and friction.

That sent Inglis into a fourth-round match against No. 2-ranked Iga Świątek, who had a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 win over Anna Kalinskaya.

No. 4 Amanda Anisimova beat Peyton Stearns 6-1, 6-4 in an all-American encounter and will next face Wang Xinyu, who upset No. 13 Linda Noskova.

No. 5 Elena Rybakina advanced to a fourth-round match against No. 21 Elise Mertens.

The 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka lost 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to No. 9 Taylor Fritz and then grabbed two beers from a courtside ice box, cracked the cans with the tournament director and bid farewell to the crowd. “Cheers everybody! ” he said.

Fritz will next face No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti, who held off Tomas Machac 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to become the third Italian man to reach the fourth round.

No. 8 Ben Shelton beat Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Margaret Court Arena and said having the roof closed “just amplified the noise.”

The 37-year-old Marin Cilic, U.S. Open champion in 2014 and Australian Open runner-up four years later, lost in four sets to father-to-be Casper Ruud.

An earlier start than usual on Day 7 was no worries for defending champion Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula. No. 9-seeded Keys beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 and No. 6 Pegula defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2.

Next up for the two Americans, and podcast pals, is a fourth-round encounter against each other.

Play was suspended on outside courts for five hours from the mid-afternoon until around 7:30 p.m. local time.

The temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) when the tournament’s so-called heat scale hit a maximum of 5 in the mid-afternoon. The temperature Saturday didn’t quite reach the forecast maximum of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The maximum forecast for Sunday is 24 C (75 F).

Sinner will next play fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, who beat No. 15 Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Reflecting on his drama at 3-1 down in the third set, the No. 2 seed said he was just trying to survive.

“It started with the legs. Got to the arms. I was cramping a bit all over,” Sinner said. “This is an area I know I need to improve.”

In the second set, Sinner was given a rare time violation by chair umpire Fergus Murphy as he was preparing to serve. In a show of sportsmanship, Spizzirri intervened, approaching the umpire and saying he hadn't been ready to receive.

He had the crowd on his side, until Sinner's movement became visibly wobbly.

Under the roof — with the glare gone, the temperature easing across the third and fourth sets and the radiated heat from the court plummeting — the momentum swung.

“I don’t know if he got saved by it,” Spizzirri said. “I smiled a little bit when the heat rule went into effect, just because it was kind of funny timing. But at the same time, the game at 2-1 in the third set was when it hit, I think it’s 5 (on the heat scale), which means that the heat rule is in effect. So whenever that game was over, whether I broke or whether he held, we were going to close the roof.”

Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts after defeating Anna Kalinskaya of Russia in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland holds up a beer following his third round loss to Taylor Fritz of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

FILE - Naomi Osaka of Japan walks onto Rod Laver Arena for her first round match against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Jannik Sinner, left, of Italy walks from the court with Eliot Spizzirri of the U.S. after winning their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Eliot Spizzirri of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Jannik Sinner of Italy during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Jannik Sinner of Italy receives treatment from trainers during his third round match against Eliot Spizzirri of the U.S.at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Jannik Sinner of Italy rests at his coaching box during his third round match against Eliot Spizzirri of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Jannik Sinner of Italy takes a drink during his third round match against Eliot Spizzirri of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. plays a backhand return to compatriot Peyton Stearns during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Jessica Pegula, left, of the U.S. is congratulated by Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia following their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Madison Keys, left, of the U.S. is congratulated by Karolina Pliskova, right, of the Czech Republic following their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Madison Keys of the U.S. waves after defeating Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Naomi Osaka of Japan walks onto court for her second round match against Sorana Cirstea of Romaniaat the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Ben Shelton of the U.S. reacts after defeating Dane Sweeny of Australia during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia serves to Jessica Pegula of the U.S. during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Madison Keys of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged at least four cultural and historical sites, including palaces and an ancient mosque, raising alarms about the impact of the widening war on protected landmarks that are important to Iranian identity and world history.

The speed and extent of the damage have so concerned Iran and Lebanon that they sent a request to the United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO, this week to add more sites to its enhanced protection list.

UNESCO confirmed that it has verified damage to the lavish Qajar-era Golestan Palace in Tehran as well as the 17th century Chehel Sotoun palace and the Masjed-e Jāme, the country's oldest Friday mosque, both in Isfahan. There also was verified damage at buildings close to the Khorramabad Valley, which includes five prehistoric caves and one rock shelter providing evidence of human occupation dating to 63,000 B.C.

At Golestan Palace, shattered glass from the mirrored ceilings blanketed the floors alongside broken archways, blown-out windows and damaged molding scattered below its glass-mosaic walls, according to Associated Press video taken March 3.

UNESCO said it provided all parties to the conflict with the geographical coordinates of the heritage sites ahead of time, “to take all feasible precautions to avoid damage.”

The impact to cultural sites has not been isolated to Iran but has been felt across the Middle East and beyond, with UNESCO tracking damage to the White City in Israel, Tyre in Lebanon and elsewhere.

Collateral damage to such places has been part of the fabric of war for decades, including in conflicts between Russia and Ukraine as well as Israel and Hamas, in which dozens of sites have been damaged or destroyed.

“What is happening is clear to all: In these increasingly modern conflicts, it’s civilians who pay the price, it’s civilian infrastructure that pays the price, and we’ve all seen the destruction of priceless historical heritage,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said this week.

Human rights advocates are echoing that sentiment, warning that the Iran war not only has killed more than 1,000 people but upended the institutions and historical places that communities rely on.

“It causes harm to civilians because it damages or destroys a piece of their history that can be significant both to the world and also to a specific region or community," said Bonnie Docherty, senior researcher in the arms division at Human Rights Watch. “It undermines the sort of shared identity of a local community, which can often be important for bringing people together.”

Arash Azizi, who grew up in Iran before moving to the U.S. as an adult, said that because his family couldn't afford to travel abroad when he was a child, they visited historical sites across the country. This, he says, is how he learned about his cultural identity and history.

“At times where school kids are killed, when human life is at stake, when the stakes are very high, people might think, ‘What are a couple of broken tiles or broken glasses?’” the 38-year-old New York resident said.

“I think this is the wrong attitude," he added. "We need a cultural context. We need to know who we are, and where we come from, and what does it all mean?”

For Shabnam Emdadi, a 35-year-old Iranian American also in New York, the damage to the Safavid-era Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan is deeply personal. She traveled there with her dad a few years before he died.

“Those Iran trips with him were my most fond memories of him at his happiest, where he felt most at home and alive, and I’ll never forget them,” Emdadi said. “Which is why every day when I see the damage of these sites that are the core of my memories, I feel like I am also losing a piece of him.”

It was unclear if it was U.S. or Israeli strikes that caused the damage. The Pentagon did not provide comment. The Israeli Defense Forces said it was “unfamiliar” with claims of damage to UNESCO sites.

One nonprofit group pointed to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying last week that America’s approach to the war would not include “stupid rules of engagement.”

“That’s an extremely important statement because it’s those rules of engagement that embody international humanitarian law, which is not just the protection of cultural heritage, but the protection of all civilian populations and structures, including your hospitals, your schools, etc.,” said Patty Gerstenblith, president of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield, an international organization dedicated to protecting heritage in conflict, disaster and crisis.

The affected sites are among the nearly 30 Iranian sites designated as under special protection as part of UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Other notable landmarks on the list include the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty.

The agency's World Heritage Committee annually designates sites considered “of outstanding value to humanity” and intervenes when sites are in danger of destruction or damage. The program provides countries with technical assistance and professional training to preserve the sites.

The Trump administration announced last July that it would once again withdraw from UNESCO as it distances the U.S. from some international organizations.

The White House cited similar concerns as it did in 2018, saying it believes U.S. involvement is not in its national interest and accusing the agency of promoting anti-Israel speech. The decision won’t go into effect until December.

Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Damage caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran is seen at the Qajar-era Golestan Palace in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. (ISNA via AP)

Damage caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran is seen at the Qajar-era Golestan Palace in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. (ISNA via AP)

Damage caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes is seen on the facade of the Qajar-era Golestan Palace in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. (ISNA via AP)