Sinner powers into Wimbledon final 16 as Djokovic eyes century

Wimbledon high seed Jannik Sinner crushed Pedro Martinez to achieve the final 16 with out shedding a set on Saturday whereas title rival Novak Djokovic targets his one hundredth victory on the match.

Sinner took only one hour and 55 minutes to demolish 52nd-ranked Martinez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in a Centre Court docket masterclass, although the Spaniard was fighting a shoulder situation.

The 23-year-old will face Bulgarian nineteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov or Austria’s Sebastian Ofner within the fourth spherical on the All England Membership.

Sinner has misplaced simply 17 video games throughout his first three matches at this yr’s match, in distinction to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has proven patchy kind on path to the final 16.

The Italian returned from a doping ban in Could, shedding the Italian Open closing to Alcaraz and squandering three championship factors towards the Spaniard within the French Open closing final month.

His finest efficiency at Wimbledon was a run to the semi-finals in 2023 and he reached the quarter-finals final yr.

“Each time you attain the second week of a Grand Slam it’s a really special day,” stated Sinner, who acknowledged Martinez’s discomfort together with his shoulder.

“Much more particular right here in Wimbledon, so I’m very completely happy to be within the second week.”

Afterward Centre Court docket, Djokovic will resume his bid for a record-breaking twenty fifth Grand Slam crown.

The seven-time champion, locked with the long-retired Margaret Court docket on 24 majors, is aiming to achieve the fourth spherical for the seventeenth time in his twentieth look at Wimbledon.

A 3rd-round conflict towards Serbian Davis Cup teammate Miomir Kecmanovic will maintain few fears for the sixth seed, who has not misplaced towards his Forty ninth-ranked compatriot in three earlier conferences.

If Djokovic beats Kecmanovic he’ll attain a century of victories on the All England Membership, a feat solely surpassed by eight-time champion Roger Federer, who gained 105 occasions on the lawns of southwest London, and Martina Navratilova, who chalked up 120 victories.

“If I play like this, I really feel like I’ve an excellent probability towards anyone, actually, on the Centre Court docket of Wimbledon, a spot the place I perhaps really feel essentially the most comfy on any court docket,” Djokovic stated after beating Britain’s Dan Evans within the second spherical.

Djokovic’s first Wimbledon win got here towards Argentine Juan Monaco 20 years in the past, when Kecmanovic was aged simply 5.

– Swiatek’s title probability –

Former champion Elena Rybakina grew to become the newest star to endure a shock exit, shedding to Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Rybakina, the Kazakh eleventh seed, gained her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the semi-finals final yr.

However the 26-year-old’s hopes of one other robust run had been ended by Twenty third-seeded Tauson in a third-round tie on Court docket Two.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva thrashed American world quantity 55 Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-3 in simply 78 minutes on Court docket One.

The 18-year-old, seeded seventh, is among the few main gamers left within the girls’s draw.

World primary Aryna Sabalenka is the one participant remaining from among the many high six seeds.

Iga Swiatek has quietly gone about her enterprise at this yr’s Wimbledon however could have watched the mass exodus of her high rivals with curiosity.

The five-time Grand Slam champion is seeded eighth on the All England membership after slipping down the rankings, although she is now again on the earth’s high 4 after reaching the Unhealthy Homburg closing final week.

The Pole, who faces American Danielle Collins within the third spherical, has by no means been past the quarter-finals on the All England Membership.

Swiatek, who has gained 4 titles on the French Open clay, was crushed by former Australian Open finalist Collins on the Italian Open in Could.

Defending girls’s champion Barbora Krejcikova can also be in motion on Saturday towards American tenth seed Emma Navarro.

smg/jw

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