Jannik Sinner continues his imperious march at Wimbledon. The defending champion and top seed dispatched Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3, to reach the last four without dropping a single set since the tournament began. A commanding display on London's grass.
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The opening set revealed a spirited Struff. The thirty-six-year-old German, the oldest first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist in the Open Era, held his own against Sinner thanks to a booming serve that delivered several love holds early on. But the Italian eventually found the opening at 5-5, capitalising on a dip in his opponent's serving to snatch the decisive break. Sinner closed out the set 7-5 with the composure that defines his biggest moments.
The second set produced the finest tennis of the encounter. Struff, buoyed by a Centre Court crowd that appreciated his resistance, pushed Sinner into a tie-break where the Italian's returning superiority proved decisive. An ace followed by a forehand winner down the line gave him a 5-2 cushion in the breaker. Sinner converted his first set point at 7-4 in the tie-break.
The third set left no room for doubt about the pecking order. Sinner broke in the fourth game before managing his lead with serenity. The Italian wrapped up the match in a shade over two hours when Struff sent a backhand long, the German leaving the court to a standing ovation. At thirty-six, he had just lived the finest Wimbledon fortnight of his career, having notably eliminated Hubert Hurkacz in the previous round.
The numbers underscore Sinner's dominance: 85% of first serves in play, not a single break of serve conceded in the match, and a perfect 4-0 career record against Struff. The defending champion has still not lost a set in the tournament, a run of fifteen consecutive sets won since the first round. His consistency on grass this season commands respect.
In the semi-finals, Sinner awaits the winner of the quarter-final between Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime, scheduled for the evening session. A generational clash between the tournament's all-time wins leader and the third-ranked Canadian. Should Djokovic prevail, his showdown with Sinner would be the most anticipated encounter of the fortnight.
