Wimbledon: Improved Jannik Sinner keeps title defence on track, reaches fourth round
London, July 3
Defending champion Jannik Sinner seemed to have got his mojo back as he stormed into the fourth round at Wimbledon for the fifth consecutive year in a row on Friday, steamrolling past Jenson Brooksby with his strongest performance at the All-England Club in London.
Sinner looked back to his best after struggling in his opening match and then doing just enough to progress in the next round. But the third-round clash was a different story altogether as he sailed to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over the American Brooksby, who put up a brief third-set fightback.
While Sinner executed some of his best, clinical tennis - hitting 29 winners - there were moments of magic from the talented Brooksby, who is ranked No.81 in the world.
Just when Sinner looked to be surging to victory, Brooksby stopped him in his tracks by putting up a strong performance when the Italian was serving out the match, and the American player won an extended baseline rally to break back.
Despite Brooksby's gutsy determination, even saving a match point, Sinner put out his spark. The world No.1 held a finger to his ear after swiping a forehand winner cross-court to set up his second match point, which he duly took.
He will face Shintaro Mochizuki in the fourth round on Sunday.
Earlier, defending champion Sinner produced a much-improved display to move into the third round, defeating Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 on Centre Court, which set up Friday's clash with Brooksby.
After being pushed to five sets by Miomir Kecmanovic in his opening match, the World No. 1 showed a much stronger performance on Wednesday. He raised his game in the key moments, breaking back when Borges served for the second set at 5-4. He finished the match in two hours and 32 minutes.
This win was important beyond Wimbledon. It marked Sinner's 95th Grand Slam main-draw win, moving him past Nicola Pietrangeli for the most Grand Slam match wins by an Italian player.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Amazing to see an Italian player making history with 95 Grand Slam wins - surpassing Pietrangeli is no small feat! But I have to say, Brooksby showed real fight in that third set. Tennis needs more players with that kind of never-say-die attitude.
To be honest, I find it a bit concerning that Sinner is taking time to find his form even as defending champion. The first round was way too close. But credit where due - he's adjusting match by match. Next up Mochizuki, should be interesting!
Brooksby is seriously talented for someone ranked 81st. That baseline rally to break back when Sinner was serving for the match was pure class. Sinner's finger-to-ear celebration was a bit much though - respect the opponent, mate.
As someone who follows tennis closely, I'm impressed with Sinner's tactical evolution. He's not just relying on power anymore - the way he constructed points against Borges was masterful. The competition at the top is fierce, but he's handling the pressure like a true champion. 🇮🇹✨
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.