Daijiworld Media Network - London
London, Jul 7: Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his dominant Wimbledon campaign by defeating Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets on Tuesday to book a place in the semifinals at the All England Club.
The world No. 1 registered a 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over the experienced German to reach the 10th Grand Slam semifinal of his career and remain on course for back-to-back Wimbledon titles.
Despite his No. 74 ranking, Struff posed a stern challenge with his powerful serve and aggressive net play. The 36-year-old had become the oldest player to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal, but he was unable to halt Sinner's march.
The Italian was tested most severely in the second set. After losing an early break, Struff stepped up his attacking game, repeatedly using his heavy forehand and frequent approaches to the net to put pressure on the defending champion.
Struff even earned a set point at 5-4, but Sinner responded calmly, saving the opportunity with two unreturned serves and an ace before taking control of the set.
The top seed then dominated the tie-break with his consistent baseline play and accurate serving before comfortably sealing the match in the third set after two hours and 35 minutes on court.
Reflecting on the contest, Sinner admitted the second set proved to be the turning point.
"The second set could easily have gone the other way. Tie-breaks are always evenly balanced, and there's a huge difference between being one set all and leading by two sets. I felt more relaxed in the third set. His first-serve percentage also dropped a little, which made things easier for me. I'm happy to finish it in three sets because he's a very difficult opponent," Sinner said after the match.
With the victory, Sinner advanced to his third Wimbledon semifinal, where he will face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final.
The Italian has looked impressive since arriving at Wimbledon after seeing his remarkable 30-match winning streak come to an end with a surprise second-round defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros. Since then, Sinner has quickly rediscovered his best form and remains firmly on course to defend his Wimbledon crown.