Sublime Sinner downs Schwartzman, breaks Argentine hearts again

AFP

Jannik Sinner coasted into Wimbledon's third round with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 victory over Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday.

Sinner, who knocked out Schwartzman's compatriot Francisco Cerundolo earlier this week, showed steel to battle through a fairly even first set before turning on the style as he improved his head-to-head record against Schwartzman to 4-0.

"In the beginning I thought we were both a little bit tight. After that I played a little better, and I hit quite hard, especially in the third set. I think it was a good match," the eighth seed said in his on-court interview.

The 21-year-old was sharp from the outset as he fended off three break points and punished his opponent with vicious forehand winners before breaking late to capture the opening set.

Sinner cruised from there on, using both serve and forehand to devastating effect as he controlled rallies from the baseline and frustrated Schwartzman, winning five straight games as errors crept into the Argentine's game.

Not even a lengthy halt in play to close Court One's roof could impede the Italian's momentum, as he traded breaks early with Schwartzman in the third before seizing the advantage and wrapping up the contest with his 15th ace of the match.

"I felt like I was serving very well in the important moments," said Sinner, who is chasing his first Major title after reaching the quarter-finals of three of the four Grand Slams last year.

"I tried to return as many balls as I could and I tried to play my game. Moving him around is not easy because he is so fast, so I tried to overpower him a little bit.

"Hopefully I can play some good tennis here, play point-by-point and then we'll see where I can finish."

Sinner will next face either Australian Aleksandar Vukic or Frenchman Quentin Halys, but he will have to wait until Thursday to learn the name of his third-round opponent after the pair's match was postponed due to rain.

More from Sports News

  • Zimbabwe stun Australia to stay unbeaten in T20 World Cup

    Australia were dealt an early blow in their quest to reach the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after the depleted former champions crashed to a 23-run defeat by Zimbabwe in Colombo on Friday.

  • Arsenal miss chance to go six points clear with draw at Brentford

    Arsenal has wasted the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday, with Noni Madueke's second-half header cancelled out by Keane Lewis-Potter.

  • India thump Namibia ahead of Pakistan clash

    Defending champions India continued their march towards the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a 93-run win over Namibia in a group A contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

  • Italy crush Nepal in maiden T20 World Cup victory

    Brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca guided Twenty20 World Cup debutants Italy to their first win in the tournament, as their unbeaten half-centuries secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal in a Group C clash on Thursday.

  • Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reveals major expansion plan

    The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will usher in the start of a new era for one of the Middle East’s most iconic sporting events with plans revealed for an extensive two-phase redevelopment that will transform the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and surrounding Aviation Club Tennis Complex.

News