London, July 7: Jannik Sinner moved to within two wins of successfully defending his Wimbledon title on Tuesday after producing a composed and clinical quarter-final victory over Jan-Lennard Struff.
The No. 1 ranked may not have produced his most dazzling tennis in the face of Struff’s dangerous game, but he still proved too strong for the 36-year-old German and sealed a 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory on No. 1 Court. Into his third semi-final at The All England Club, Sinner will face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday’s last-four clash.
After dropping the opening set and falling an early break behind in the second, Struff raised his aggression further, using his heavy forehand and well-timed ventures to the net to unsettle Sinner.
The World No. 74 responded immediately with a break back and continued to apply that same pressure throughout the set, eventually earning a set point at 5-4, 30/40.
Yet Sinner once again showcased his composure in the biggest moments, escaping danger with three emphatic deliveries: two unreturned serves either side of an ace. From there, the top seed continued to back up his outstanding serving with relentless baseline consistency, firing his way through the second-set tie-break before maintaining his control for the remainder of the two-hour, 35-minute match.
“The second set could have ended in a different way,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “Tie-breaks are always 50/50. If you are one set all or two sets up, it’s a big [difference]. So in the third set, I was a little bit more relaxed, for sure.
“His percentage of first serves dropped a little bit, which helped me feel slightly more comfortable. I’m very happy to finish in three sets, but he’s a very tough player to play against. So I’m pleased.”
Sinner had been riding a 30-match winning streak — a run that included completing the Career Golden Masters — before his shock second-round defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros, but he has responded impressively upon return to action at Wimbledon.
After expertly neutralising Struff’s explosive forehand and dangerous grass-court game, the 24-year-old improved his record at The All England Club to 25-4. Even though he needed five sets to overcome Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round in southwest London, Sinner has since won 12 consecutive sets to reach his 10th major semifinal.
Struff, who this fortnight became the oldest first-time men’s major quarter-finalist in the Open Era, leaves Wimbledon having climbed 34 places to No. 40 in the ATP Rankings. The 36-year-old battled through five-set victories over Sebastian Baez and Brandon Nakashima before upsetting eighth seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. He then booked his place in the last eight after Hubert Hurkacz retired in the fifth set of their fourth-round encounter. (Agencies)
