Sinner topples Mochizuki for fifth consecutive Wimbledon QF
London, July 6
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner eased past Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to book his fifth consecutive quarter-final spot at Wimbledon.
The defending champion Sinner is just the 11th man in the Open Era to reach a fifth quarterfinal the grass court major and the second active man after seven-time titlist Novak Djokovic.
It was the Japanese who earned the first break point (Sinner quickly whipped that back), but it was also he who was broken first (Sinner just lifted Mochizuki's service game from his racket strings like a pickpocket lifting a phone from a handbag). After 33 minutes, the champion was a set to the good.
Mochizuki made a better fist of protecting his serve in the second set, not dropping a point in his first three service games. After seven games, Sinner began to chip away at his rival's defences. He held three break points; there were seven deuces and still he could not break Mochizuki's serve. At 4-4, the Italian looked thoroughly frustrated, Wimbledon reports.
Sinner was winning the majority of the short rallies but if he found himself dragged into a longer exchange, he ended up winning the point only 33 per cent of the time. The Japanese was outfoxing him with that magical backhand and a refusal to offer Sinner any pace with which to work.
When the roof was closed. Sinner headed off court to freshen up and have a think. When he came back, he had obviously decided that he was going to have to take the fight to Mochizuki. There was no point in playing safe and waiting for the Japanese to fade.
In the end, Mochizuki solved the problem for Sinner: he played a poor tie-break, went two sets down and never recovered from there.
"It was the first time we played against each other," Sinner said. "I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I tried to handle certain situations slightly better than him, which I've done. But he's an incredible player. Coming from Quallies and playing such a high level for such a long time, it's amazing. I wish him only the best. He should be proud of himself.
"It was very tricky to play him, especially on this surface. His game suits very, very well because he's very low, but I tried to stay a bit more aggressive. Had some chances in the second set, couldn't use them. But still, very happy about today's performance, trying to step up every day a little bit better. So I'm very happy about today."
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who played tennis in college, I appreciate how hard it is to win on grass. Sinner's movement is phenomenal but Mochizuki deserves immense credit for pushing him. Coming from qualifiers to nearly taking a set off the defending champion? That's mental strength. Hope Indian players like Nagal and Bhambri take inspiration.
Honestly I feel Mochizuki's tie-break collapse was disappointing. He had Sinner on the ropes in the second set but just lost focus at the wrong time. These small moments decide matches at this level. Still, brilliant effort from the Japanese qualifier - gave the Italian a real scare. Reminds me of how our own Somdev Devvarman used to push top players. 💪
What a match! 🙌 The way Sinner handled the pressure after losing that second set momentum - pure champion mentality. And Mochizuki's low stance on grass is something we don't see often. Indian coaches should study his technique - it's perfect for our players who aren't as tall. Also loved Sinner's gracious comments about his opponent - class act!
Sinner's stats tell an interesting story - winning short rallies but struggling in longer exchanges. This is why tennis is such a mentally demanding sport. Mochizuki's tactical play was excellent, forcing errors from the World No.1. But in the end, experience won. Would love to see more Asian players breaking through at Slams - it's good for the sport globally.
S Sneha Agarwal