
8 days · 7 summary articles
Jannik Sinner booked his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday with a commanding three-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, while Coco Gauff secured her first Wimbledon semi-final appearance with a dramatic comeback against Jessica Pegula. The defending champion Sinner, who has yet to drop a set in his past four matches, will face either Novak Djokovic or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last four after the two meet later on Centre Court. Gauff, meanwhile, will take on either Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals, where she could become the first American woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2016.
Sinner’s 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over Struff was a masterclass in controlled aggression, as the world No 1 navigated the searing 30°C heat with apparent ease. The Italian, who struggled with the heatwave at this year’s French Open, admitted after the match that his team had worked extensively to address the issue. “We worked a lot after Paris trying to understand what went wrong and prepared in the best possible way,” Sinner said. “It was a huge test today. I felt comfortable on the physical side, a good step forwards.”
Struff, ranked 74th in the world, pushed Sinner to the limit in the opening exchanges, with the German’s blistering 135mph serves testing the reigning champion early. Sinner, however, remained unflustered, breaking Struff’s serve once in each set to take a commanding lead. The veteran German, who last reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2018, admitted his energy faded in the third set. “In the third (set) the energy unfortunately went away for a couple of games, and he then punished me mercilessly,” Struff told Prime.
Across the draw, Alexander Zverev continued his strong form, defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) in a match that spanned two days due to Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew. The French Open champion, who will face Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, expressed his relief at finally reaching the last eight at Wimbledon. “Who would have thought it would take me twelve years to get here?” Zverev said in his post-match interview. “I’m incredibly happy. Of course, I want to play three more matches here.”
In the women’s draw, Gauff’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Pegula marked her first Wimbledon semi-final and her first semi-final at all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova. The 22-year-old American, who has won two Grand Slam titles but never on grass, will now aim to become the youngest player to reach all four semi-finals since Sharapova in 2004. “I’m just trying to take it one match at a time,” Gauff said. “I know I have a lot of support here, and I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
Karolína Muchová also made history, defeating Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final. The Czech, who had never previously advanced past the second round at SW19, will face either Sabalenka or Rybakina in the last four. Muchová’s victory over the four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was a statement of intent, as she continues her rise in the women’s game.
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