Jannik Sinner overcame some testing moments to keep his Wimbledon title bid on track Sunday at the grass-court major, where the eighth seed held firm for a 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-3 fourth-round win against Daniel Elahi Galan.
The 21-year-old Sinner squandered five break points in the first set but kept his cool to claim an opening tie-break on No. 1 Court at the All England Club. He then reeled off seven games in a row from 2-4 in the second set to extinguish a promising Galan comeback, ultimately completing a two-hour, 36-minute triumph in which he won 85 per cent (41/48) of points behind his first serve.
“Obviously I’m very happy,” said Sinner in his on-court interview. “Today was a very tough day. I was not feeling so great on the court, but still I tried to fight for every ball. Knowing him, he is a very good server, and he hits the forehand very, very well. So I tried to somehow win the most important points.”
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Now into the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year, Sinner will take on Roman Safiullin next at SW19 after the World No. 92 defeated Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The Italian, a seven-time ATP Tour titlist, will be chasing his first quarter-final win at a major in six attempts.
“It’s a very tough challenge,” said Sinner when asked about the Safiullin clash. “Every player that plays in the quarter-finals deserves to be there. I will try to play my best. I played against him in the ATP Cup a couple of years ago. It was a very tough match. He hits the ball very hard.
“But let’s see, that is a problem for the day after tomorrow. I will try to practise and try to relax.”
With his victory, Sinner became the first Italian man to reach multiple Wimbledon quarter-finals. His countryman Matteo Berrettini, who reached the final at the All England Club in 2021, can match Sinner’s feat by beating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Monday.
Despite his defeat, Galan leaves Wimbledon having become just the sixth Colombian player in history to reach the last 16 at a Grand Slam event, and the first since Alejandro Falla at Roland Garros in 2011. The 27-year-old Galan has risen 30 spots to No. 55 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in the U.K. capital.