Unwell Jannik Sinner knocked out of Wimbledon as Daniil Medvedev remains ruthless
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Don't underestimate Daniil Medvedev. That's what he showed the other players at Wimbledon. Despite facing tough competition, Medvedev showed his resilience and skill to come out on top in the quarter-finals. Jannik Sinner may have been feeling off, but Medvedev's performance was impressive and he stayed focused throughout the match.
In two exciting sets of intense tennis, both players were evenly matched. However, it was the younger Italian player, only 22 years old, who started to struggle on the court. The world's top-ranked player took a break for 10 minutes, but it wasn't due to an injury. A doctor checked on him, finding that his pulse and blood pressure were not good. Sinner appeared exhausted, with a pale face and slower movements than usual.
He came back and faced a new challenge, feeling the rush of excitement as the game went back and forth. Sinner put up a good fight, pushing the match to five sets. After a grueling battle lasting four hours, Medvedev came out on top, earning a spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second year in a row. He secured the win with a score of 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, and will once again face Carlos Alcaraz.
"I sensed that he wasn't feeling well at one point, but I was confident that he would bounce back," Medvedev expressed during the match.
"It was really challenging. At first, I thought he wasn't performing very well, but it was deceiving. I wanted to keep playing to tire him out, but then he suddenly turned up his intensity. I would have preferred to avoid this dilemma. Thankfully, everything turned out okay in the end."
Medvedev had previously won 6 matches against Sinner, but surprisingly, Sinner had won the last five meetings between them. This includes their last encounter at the Australian Open final in January, where Sinner won his first Grand Slam title in a thrilling comeback from being two sets down. During that match, the Italian seemed defeated, even saying "Sono morto" (I'm dead) to his team, but managed to rally back. However, at Wimbledon, he appeared more tired and worn out.
In their previous match in Miami back in March, Medvedev only managed to win three games. But in their latest meeting under the Centre Court roof, the atmosphere was completely different. The match was evenly matched from the beginning, with both players fighting hard for every point.
These two tall competitors have very similar styles: hitting the ball flat and deep from both sides, their slice shots almost look like they are giving up. They both move smoothly on the court as well, with Jannik Sinner moving quickly from side to side and Daniil Medvedev covering a lot of ground with his long strides. As a result, the first set was filled with intense and exciting rallies.
During the decisive tiebreaker, the longest exchange of shots reached 33 hits, leading to Sinner showing signs of fatigue by bending over at the net. However, the tiebreaker was a test of stamina and concentration. Following this, two extended rallies caused Medvedev to make a double fault, with one crucially occurring at set point for his opponent. The pressure seemed to get to the Russian player, as he missed a set point earlier with a poorly executed forehand shot.
The crucial moments that determine the outcome of a match seem to be Medvedev's weak spot. He has only won one Grand Slam title, but some believe he should have won three, as he has previously squandered two two-set leads in the final in Melbourne.
Despite the heavy rain pouring down and making it difficult to hear the sound of the ball hitting the racket, Medvedev was able to break Sinner's serve early on in the second set. It seemed like Sinner's loose shots were to blame for this, but things were not as they appeared. As Medvedev continued to play well, Sinner struggled and made uncharacteristic errors, especially on his forehand side. Suddenly, Sinner was seen walking gingerly on the court. Medvedev took advantage of this, using his strong serving to even the score.
Currently, Medvedev was hitting the ball hard, especially with his powerful and precise backhand shots. This caused Sinner to make unexpected mistakes, such as hitting the ball poorly, dropping the ball into the net, and hitting the ball too low, giving Medvedev another advantage at the beginning of the third set.
Right on time, Sinner asked for the physio's help and, with his head down, he exited the court with a doctor. It took more than 11 minutes before he came back to a big round of applause.
He still appeared sick and was now trying to end the points quickly, using drop shots frequently which was different from his powerful groundstrokes. But Medvedev, who is usually ruthless, especially when he is feeling strong, did not give up. While Medvedev moved quickly between shots, Sinner moved slowly, trying to catch his breath.
But suddenly, there was a glimmer of hope. Medvedev struggled when trying to win the set and, a few games later, he had to defend against two set points. Sinner had the opportunity to win the set with a backhand shot, but unfortunately, he hit the ball into the net.
Was he going to feel sorry for what he did? It looked like it. Another tiebreaker was necessary, and this time, Medvedev didn't hesitate. He showed even more determination with his groundstrokes, refusing to back down, and securing a crucial advantage with an ace on the side.
Sinner made a comeback, showing determination and securing an early break in the fourth set with a precise drop shot. The match became even more unpredictable as Medvedev started making mistakes, serving poorly and eventually conceding the fifth set with a weak drop shot into the net.
The winner and Medvedev secured the important break in the fourth game, celebrating enthusiastically to his supporters. The match returned to the long rallies seen in the first two hours, a shift that benefited the fitter player. With a score of 5-3 and serving for the win, would Medvedev succeed or falter? He succeeded with an ace, ending the match with a beautiful backhand shot down the line.
The center court crowd cheered for Medvedev, who is a polarizing figure. He will compete against defending champion Alcaraz in the semifinals on Friday, a rematch of last year's one-sided match where the Spaniard easily defeated him. However, it's important to note that the Russian previously defeated Alcaraz in the semifinals of the US Open last year, despite expectations. Anticipate another intense and challenging match.
