In a gripping encounter under the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame world number one Jannik Sinner in a five-set battle on Tuesday, advancing to the semifinals for the second consecutive year.
The match, lasting exactly four hours, was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts and showcased the resilience of both players. Medvedev triumphed with a scoreline of 6-7(7-9), 6-4, 7-6(7-4), 2-6, 6-3, snapping his five-match losing streak against the Italian.
“I knew if I wanted to beat Jannik it needed to be a tough match,” Medvedev reflected after the game. “He’s not a guy you can beat easily anymore. One moment he wasn’t moving well, so I tried to make him work harder. But then he’d go full power—it was tricky.”
Sinner, who had defeated Medvedev in the Australian Open final earlier this year after coming back from two sets down, started strong by claiming the first set in a tightly contested tiebreak. However, physical ailment seemed to hamper his performance as the match progressed.
“Already this morning I didn’t feel great,” Sinner admitted. “Had some problems, and with the fatigue, it was tough. But take nothing away from Daniil. He played very smart.”
The third set saw Sinner leaving the court for medical attention after losing his serve at 1-1. Upon his return, he rallied from a 3-5 deficit to force another tiebreak, but Medvedev held his nerve to take the set.
Despite a dominant fourth set by Sinner, where he lost only 12 points, Medvedev refocused in the decider. An early break in the fifth set proved decisive as he calmly secured victory.
Medvedev, who won the U.S. Open in 2021, now faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. Reflecting on his upcoming challenge, he said, “I have to serve better. That’s the most important thing on grass. You serve aces, you’re less in trouble.”
The semifinal clash promises to be a test of skill and endurance as Medvedev seeks to overturn his previous defeat against Alcaraz at Wimbledon last year.
Reference(s):
Medvedev outlasts No. 1 seed Sinner to reach Wimbledon semifinals
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