ENFIELD
HACKNEY
HARINGEY
ISLINGTON
Jannik Sinner proved himself a true winner during one of Centre Court’s most heart-rending scenes on Monday, even if he didn’t feel like one.
His care for the injury-tormented Grigor Dimitrov, who’d suffered another tournament-ending setback while two sets up, felt dignified, heartfelt and genuine.
The world No.1 must have been worried about his own elbow injury, picked up after a fall in the first game, but instead was only concerned the crowd should applaud his stricken friend, declaring: “I don’t take this as a win at all.”
Nonetheless, we can only hope this class act, following an MRI scan, is fit and firing again to make the best of his great escape as he faces Ben Shelton.
He’ll need to be. The 6ft 4in American is a bouncing, booming ball of energy, a big character with a big game, exactly the sort of youthful, sleeveless whirlwind tennis needs.
Ben has already surpassed dad and coach Bryan, whose serve-and-volleying got him to the last-16 here 31 years ago, and was quick to salute Shelton Senior after his fourth round victory, hailing him as his inspiration.
He’s eyeing a third Grand Slam semi-final at just 22, but is hungry for more. The youngest American man in the quarter-finals since Andy Roddick 21 years ago, he’s grateful to have the three-time finalist here as a sounding board.
“Nuke serve, could run all day, a grinder, massive forehand, great footwork, just a physical beast,” he says about Roddick, but could just as easily be talking about himself.
Sinner has had his number, winning their last five contests, but if there is any concern with that elbow, Shelton’s heavyweight serve – he has a best of 148mph this Fortnight – will find it out pretty quickly. “It’s going to be a problem, no?” the Italian muses. It sure is.
Shelton is not the only fresh air gusting through the men’s ranks. It felt like a star-is-born moment when Flavio Cobolli, just five months older than the Atlantan, battled past Marin Cilic with some glorious shot-making, prompting a flood of Italian tears from his dad, coach Stefano and family on No.2 Court.
Stefan Djokovic, for one, is a fan. The 10-year-old had a practice knock with the No.22 seed the other day and got Cobolli to autograph his tennis cap, already adorned with all the game’s big names.
“Except mine,” sighs dad Novak. Sixteen Wimbledon quarter-finals evidently doesn’t yet quite merit a place on Stefan’s hat-of-fame.
First up on Centre Court, we have an absorbing duel between a mum and a teenager enjoying the time of their lives, Belinda Bencic and Mirra Andreeva.
Bencic, at 28, can’t quite believe how quickly she’s recovered her best form on tour, just nine months since returning after the birth of her daughter Bella.
Life’s a bit different now for Switzerland’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion. Tennis isn’t quite the be-all-and-end-all it once was as practice occasionally takes a back seat to an aquarium trip or play day on the road with Bella.
“I’m fighting with everything I have on the court, I still want to win very badly but it’s much different now,” she says.
The results haven’t suffered, though. On the contrary, she won in Abu Dhabi shortly after returning from maternity leave and has now made her first Wimbledon quarter-final at the ninth attempt, scything her way back up the rankings to No.35 and climbing.
But can she stop Andreeva, the rising force of the women’s game as she takes to No.1 Court as our youngest ladies’ quarter-finalist in 18 years, since Nicole Vaidisova?
The 18-year-old is remarkable, so mature and forceful on court – she’s yet to drop a set in The Championships this year – yet occasionally still coming over as a wide-eyed giddy teen off court.
One minute, she’s losing focus after catching a glimpse of Roger and Mirka Federer in the Royal Box; the next, she’s so zoned in against Emma Navarro, she doesn’t realise she’s won the match until the crowd start laughing.
The victor will play the winner of Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion contesting her 12th Grand Slam quarter-final, and Liudmila Samsonova, in her first.
In terms of experience and achievement, it’s a no-contest; in terms of form, it’s too close to call. Swiatek has at last learned to love the grass; Samsonova, a two-time grass court tournament winner, just looks a natural on the surface.
But here’s the thing. Does Samsonova even know who she’s playing yet? She wouldn’t let us tell her after the last round because she says it helps her mentally not to know her opponent until as late as possible. Of course, we wouldn’t dream of mentioning it, Liudmila. Just be there on No.1 Court at 1pm…
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