Sinner Advances to Wimbledon Semifinals with Victory Over Shelton

Jannik Sinner quelled concerns about a pre-existing injury to overcome Ben Shelton in straight sets on Wednesday. This win secures his place in the Wimbledon semi-final, where he will face either Novak Djokovic or Flavio Cobolli.

Sinner sported a protective sleeve on his right arm throughout his quarter-final match against Shelton, the 10th seed. He secured a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4 victory in a total of two hours and 19 minutes.

Despite discomfort from an injury sustained in the previous round against Grigor Dimitrov, the 23-year-old persevered to reach his second semi-final at the All England Club.

Sinner, who showed signs of discomfort after returning one of Shelton’s serves in the second set, mentioned that he is recovering post-match. He stated, “When you’re in a highly intense match, you try to disregard it.”

The Italian player added, “It has significantly improved since yesterday. Yesterday, I only practiced briefly with the coaches for about 20 minutes.”

Supportive Atmosphere

He further commented, “But this isn’t an excuse. There’s no finer stage to play tennis, and I believe I demonstrated that today. The atmosphere provides tremendous support, and I’m thankful for it.”

Concerns arose when the top seed suffered a fall during his fourth-round match against Dimitrov, potentially jeopardizing his tournament participation.

Sinner was trailing by two sets when Dimitrov suffered a pectoral muscle injury while serving and had to withdraw.

Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam champion, reduced his training schedule on Tuesday and underwent a scan to evaluate the degree of his injury.

The world’s top-ranked player, aiming for his first Wimbledon final, is the first Italian male to reach multiple semi-finals at the All England Club, having previously achieved this feat in 2023.

Following a defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final in June, where he surrendered a two-set advantage and missed three championship opportunities, Jannik Sinner showed renewed vigor in his initial Wimbledon matches.

He conceded only 17 games, matching a 53-year-old record for the fewest games lost on the way to the Wimbledon men’s last 16.

Shelton surpassed his father and coach Bryan’s Wimbledon performance from 31 years prior, but he couldn’t overcome Sinner, who is now aiming for his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final.

The Italian player battled through a demanding first set that lasted 52 minutes.

Shelton also faced physical challenges, requiring his left ankle to be re-taped towards the end of the set.

Jannik Sinner secured a break in the 10th game of the second set, establishing a two-set advantage.

The third set remained closely contested, with both players holding serve until the 10th game, when Shelton faltered.

Sinner required three match points but secured the win when the American’s shot went long.