Sinner tennis

Italian won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3 to stun his teenage opponent in a match between the two youngest players left in the men's draw.

Alcaraz saved five match points on his own serve at 2-5, but could do nothing about the sixth, as Sinner thrashed a final winner. A Sinner forehand went long – and they went to a fourth set. A rocket of a return that painted the baseline earned Sinner a break at the start of the second, but Alcaraz finally found some rhythm. Just as Alcaraz looked to be getting on top, Sinner broke for 3-1 and held nervously from 0-40 for 4-1. His first ace of nine on Sunday was his 43rd for the tournament and he has been banging them down at up to 135mph. While both were as green as the grass – six matches on the surface for Alcaraz, eight for Sinner – the Spaniard’s bigger game looked suited to it.

The young talents made their Centre Court debuts hours after Wimbledon celebrated the main stage's 100th anniversary, and they provided a foil to a ...

You are playing and knowing all the historic matches that were played there that were so important to the game. Though seeded 10th at Wimbledon, Sinner had never won a match on grass on the main tour until arriving at the All England Club, but it was difficult to understand why as he navigated the grass and generated huge punching power with his groundstrokes against Alcaraz off shots hit from all different kinds of heights. I have to manage the nerves better. The temptation to end the exchange was understandable. Sinner has made a smart hire this summer, employing Darren Cahill, a former player, veteran coach and ESPN analyst, as a grass-court consultant. “But it’s more knowing all the story behind this court. Sinner will now face Djokovic, the three-time defending champion at Wimbledon, in the quarterfinals after Djokovic defeated Tim van Rijthoven, a late-blooming Dutch wild-card entrant, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, on Sunday night. Sinner was setting a torrid pace from the baseline, but it was a testament to Alcaraz’s talent and competitive fire that he turned a potential straight-sets defeat into something much more compelling. It certainly looks that way, and they have been the present of the game at times, upsetting their elders, winning tour titles and reaching the quarterfinals at Grand Slam tournaments. That seemed to be the key statistic. “I think what we showed today, it’s a great level of tennis, great attitude from both of us,” Sinner said. I think it’s just great for tennis to have also some new names, new players.”