Top seed Jannik Sinner surged into the fourth round at Wimbledon with a commanding straight-sets victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez on Saturday, while seven-time champion Novak Djokovic prepares to chase his 100th career win at the All England Club.
Sinner, 23, produced a clinical performance on Centre Court, dismantling world No. 52 Martinez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in just one hour and 55 minutes. The Spaniard appeared hampered by a shoulder issue, but Sinner was in ruthless form throughout.
The Italian has now reached the second week at Wimbledon without dropping a set, losing just 17 games across three matches. He will face either 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria or Austria’s Sebastian Ofner in the fourth round.
“Every time you reach the second week of a Grand Slam it’s a very special occasion,” said Sinner. “Even more so here at Wimbledon, so I’m very happy to be through.”
Sinner, who returned from a doping suspension in May, fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of both the Italian Open and the French Open—squandering three match points in Paris. His best result at Wimbledon was a semi-final appearance last year.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic continues his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title later on Saturday, when he faces fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round.
Djokovic on the brink of Wimbledon century
Djokovic, seeded sixth, is aiming to reach the fourth round for the 17th time in 20 Wimbledon appearances. A win over Kecmanovic—ranked 49th and winless in three previous meetings against Djokovic—would mark the 100th Wimbledon match win of his career.
Only two players have achieved more: Roger Federer (105) and Martina Navratilova (120).
“If I play like I did against Dan Evans, I feel I have a good chance against anyone—especially here on Centre Court, where I feel most at home,” said Djokovic, reflecting on his second-round win.
His first Wimbledon victory came two decades ago, against Argentina’s Juan Monaco. At the time, Kecmanovic was just five years old.
Swiatek’s title chance
The women’s tournament has seen another major upset, as former champion Elena Rybakina crashed out in the third round. The 2022 winner and 11th seed lost 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 to Denmark’s Clara Tauson, the 23rd seed, on Court Two.
Rybakina had reached the semi-finals last year and was tipped for another deep run.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over American Hailey Baptiste in just 78 minutes. The seventh seed is now one of the few high-ranked players left in the women’s draw.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the only remaining top-six seed, after a series of early exits by the field’s biggest names.
Iga Swiatek, seeded eighth, has flown under the radar but remains firmly in contention. The four-time French Open champion faces American Danielle Collins in the third round.
Though Swiatek has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, she is showing improved form after reaching the final in Bad Homburg last week, which helped lift her back into the world’s top four.
Notably, she lost to Collins at the Italian Open in May—a result that adds intrigue to their upcoming clash.
Defending women’s champion Barbora Krejcikova is also in action on Saturday, facing American 10th seed Emma Navarro.
AFP
