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

  • Ireland beat India for first time in international cricket

    Abhishek Sharma's 19-ball fifty went in vain as world champions India were surprisingly beaten by Ireland for the first time in international cricket, slumping to a 34-run defeat in the first Twenty20 in Belfast on Friday.

  • England roar back in second test against New Zealand

    England roared back into contention on the second day of the third and deciding test against New Zealand with Ben Duckett's rapid century helping his side to 223-2 after three wickets for returning captain Ben Stokes helped to dismiss the visitors for 438 at a sizzling Trent Bridge.

  • Williams to face Australia's Joint in Wimbledon comeback

    American great Serena Williams will face Australian 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round of her eagerly awaited return to Wimbledon, a potentially tricky tie for the seven-time champion playing at the tournament for the first time since 2022.

  • Australia reach World Cup knockouts, Turkey beat USA

    Australia booked their spot in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Thursday after a cagey draw against Paraguay, who are set to qualify as a third-placed finisher, while Turkey beat USA 3-2, scoring the winner with virtually the last kick of the match.

  • Netherlands win Group F, Japan and Sweden also through

    The Netherlands scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the first half en route to a 3-1 victory over Tunisia on Thursday night in Kansas City in Group F, while Japan and Sweden drew 1-1 in Texas.

News