Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his title defence in commanding fashion, brushing aside Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets to book his place in the Wimbledon semifinals at the All England Club on Tuesday.
The World No. 1 produced another composed display to defeat Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3, reaching the 10th Grand Slam semifinal of his career and his third at Wimbledon.
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Sinner will next face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in Sunday’s final.
Despite the straight-sets scoreline, Struff tested the Italian with his trademark aggressive style. The 36-year-old German, ranked World No. 74, relied on his booming serve, heavy forehand and frequent trips to the net to keep Sinner under pressure, particularly in the second set.
After losing the opener, Struff responded by earning an early break and later carved out a set point at 5-4. However, Sinner raised his level when it mattered most, erasing the danger with two unreturned serves and an ace before dominating the ensuing tie-break.
With the second set secured, the Italian settled into his rhythm and controlled the third to complete the victory in two hours and 35 minutes.
“The second set could have ended in a different way,” Sinner said during 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.”
While Sinner may not have produced his most spectacular tennis, the top seed remained calm under pressure and extended his impressive run at the grass-court major.
The Italian had entered Wimbledon looking to bounce back from a shock second-round exit to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros, a defeat that ended his 30-match winning streak. Since arriving at the All England Club, however, Sinner has looked back to his dominant best as he moves within two wins of retaining the Wimbledon crown.