London, July 7 (IANS) Defending champion Jannik Sinner remained on course for a second successive Wimbledon title by storming into the semifinals with a straight-sets victory over Jan-Lennard Struff at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in London on Tuesday.
World No.1 Sinner suppressed the dangerous challenge of Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the 10th Grand Slam semifinal of his career.
Struff, the 36-year-old German, is ranked No.74, but his ranking belies his abilities on a grass court. He possesses a huge serve and is endowed with the willingness to come forward with a positive and aggressive approach to every point. He had reached his first major quarterfinal at the age of 36, the oldest man to do so, and gave his best in Tuesday’s match.
But on Tuesday, there was no stopping Sinner, who may not have produced his most dazzling tennis against Struff but still proved too strong for the German and cruised into his third semifinal at Wimbledon. Sinner will next face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday’s last-four clash.
Barring a spell in the second set when the champion appeared a little hesitant, Sinner never looked to be in any trouble. Not even the mid-afternoon heat could bother him. It had been a good day.
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 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 his return to action at Wimbledon.
–IANS
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