Jannik Sinner had the measure of Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets in their quarterfinal at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: AFP
When Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, it appeared as if Jannik Sinner had no credible threats. Then at Roland-Garros, when the World No. 1 lost in the second round under sweltering conditions, a new foe emerged — heat.Tuesday at Wimbledon was Sinner’s first test against this unconventional adversary, and to his immense credit, the 24-year-old came out unscathed to beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes.Temperatures were admittedly not as bad as Paris, and just about touched 30 degrees. Nonetheless, it felt harsh because of the high prevailing humidity. With the entirety of Court No. 1 bathed in sunshine and there being no cloud in sight, it was difficult to spot even an inch of shade to retreat to. Yet, Sinner found a safe haven — in his clutch play.“It’s a good step forward,” he said after sealing his berth in Friday’s semifinal. “We worked a lot after Paris. Discussed what went wrong and prepared in the best possible way. It was a huge test. But I felt really comfortable on the physical side.”Tricky customerTennis-wise, Struff had the attributes to trouble Sinner. From a height of 6’4”, his service was his biggest weapon, and on grass, as always, it acquired an additional layer of menace.The 36-year-old was also in form, having overcome the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz en route his maiden Major quarterfinal.Sinner’s usually solid ground-strokes had deserted him for much of the first week, and this continued in the first set on Tuesday as well. But at 5-5, the defending champion broke through, putting together a sequence of two forehand winners and a fierce return that hurried Struff into a low — and ultimately futile — volley. A hold to 15 gave him a one-set lead.Margins remained tight in the second stanza, and worryingly, Sinner’s serve started wobbling. He couldn’t consolidate a break at 2-1, and then had a distressing time in the tenth game as Struff ran up a set-point.Shifting gearsHowever, the Italian turned it around like the flick of a switch, hammering two service winners and an ace. In the tie-break that ensued minutes later, Sinner landed five big first-serves, and soon led two sets to love.At the French Open against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Sinner was 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 ahead before melting under the torrid weather. But here, he didn’t let those bad memories bog him down, with the immaculate drop he executed to lead 2-1 in the third set indicative of his calm mind.A break of serve seemed imminent, and it duly arrived in the eighth game when Struff sent a stretched backhand long. Sinner leaned forward, and dashed to the finish like an expert runner on a smooth downhill home stretch.Indian juniors advanceElsewhere, India’s Arnav Vijay Paparkar overcame third seed Keaton Hance of the United States 6-2, 6-3 to enter the third round of the boys’ singles.On Monday, Arnav and his Thai partner Kunanan Pantaratorn had booked their place in the doubles second round while Maaya Rajeshwaran and her U.S. comrade Thea Frodin had done the same in girls’ doubles. Published - July 08, 2026 12:11 am IST
