Sinner's stellar performance against Shelton secures Wimbledon quarterfinal spot

Jannik Sinner (No. 1) reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon after defeating Ben Shelton (No. 14) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6. The Italian is in the last 8 at SW19 for the third consecutive year, improving his 2024 record to 42-3, and increasingly looking like a favorite to win his second Grand Slam title.

Shelton, on the other hand, can leave Wimbledon with positive feelings, showing consistency on grass for the first time and achieving a better result than the second round in 2023. The American demonstrated that Grand Slams are the ideal stage for his tennis, reaching the second week for the third time in just 8 main draw appearances, with a record of 17-8 (68%).

Two of the best servers on the Tour faced each other and proved it from the start. Sinner was more spectacular, winning 91% of points on his first serve and 100% on his second, meaning he only dropped one point on his serve. In the return game, Sinner constantly pressured his opponent, missing a break point in the third game, but from then on, his effectiveness was his best weapon.

With the score at 1-2, Sinner managed a good streak of games in his favor, winning the next two break points on Shelton's serve and comfortably taking the set 6-2 in just 30 minutes, as it was clear the American was a step behind his rival.

The day seemed smooth for Sinner with an ideal start to the second set, breaking at his first opportunity and taking advantage of the momentum. From then on, Shelton showed better stability on his serve, especially on the second serve, while also managing to win several points on return.

The difference was made by the break in the first game, as neither player had break points afterward. Sinner hit 7 winners against 8 from his rival, with both making 8 unforced errors each. The set ended 6-4 in favor of the 22-year-old Italian after 36 minutes, and despite Shelton showing resilience, Sinner's effectiveness seemed hard to counter.

The opportunity for the American came at the start of the third set, when, like his rival in previous games, he took advantage of the first chance he got, serving impeccably to take a 3-0 lead after some forehand errors from Sinner. The high-intensity match started to show several unforced errors from both sides, along with 3 double faults from Shelton, who again struggled with his second serve.

The world number one broke in the seventh game and then levelled the set at 4-4, putting pressure on his opponent who was unable to hold serve to maintain his lead. It all went to a tie-break, where Sinner showed his favourite's credentials, saved three set points (one on Shelton's serve) and went on to win the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(4).

Sinner secured his return to the quarterfinals, and given his current form, he seems well on his way to achieving great success at the All England Club. His next opponent will be the winner between Daniil Medvedev (No. 5) and Grigor Dimitrov (No. 10).