He has already made two Grand Slam quarter-finals, made the Top 10 and won five titles, but Jannik Sinner had never won a grass court match on the main circuit before. For his first Wimbledon last year, he lost at the start to Marton Fucsovics. This year, after a loss in the first round for his only preparation tournament (Eastbourne), he had drawn a complicated draw with Stan Wawrinka, beneficiary of a wildcard. But he got away with it brilliantly (7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2).
The Italian skated – literally – the whole match on the London grass, multiplying the slips. But if, at the start of the match, he also skated to the score, he finished this meeting with great strides, leaving no hope for the Swiss to take him into an extended match. Wawrinka, who was playing his first Wimbledon since 2019, managed to take a set by taking advantage of the few opposing failures (Sinner notably wasted four break points at the start of the second before giving up his service in stride). But the former Grand Slam winner lacked consistency in the game (43 unforced errors) and in service (48% of firsts only).
Flaws that did not allow him to fight over time against the world No. 13 who inexorably broke away in the third and then in the fourth, which he dominated head and shoulders with a double break at the key. and some searing forehands. ” I’m very happy to have played better at the end, served better so hopefully that will give me confidence for the next round.”, he said at the microphone as he left the court. He will play his place in the third round against the winner of the duel between Daniel Altmaier and Mikael Ymer.
