London, July 8:
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.