Wimbledon, Sinner surrenders to Djokovic in the 5th set

But why did you wake us up? A bucket of frozen water violently interrupts the dream of Jannik Sinner and Italy of tennis just when it seemed to be turning into reality. The semifinal was right there, in just one set. You could touch it. Too bad that at some point, as he has already been able to do in the past (Musetti and Tsitsipas, do you remember Paris?) Djokovic began to play Djokovic and Sinner began to suffer, even mentally, the excessive power of the 20 Grand Slam champion capable of recovering. and close 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2

Things that only a phenomenon capable of staying on the world throne for 373 weeks can do. Especially if he sees the only Slam chance of the year in the London tournament. In Australia he was expelled, in Paris he was scrambled by Nadal, and in the United States he cannot play because he is not vaccinated. In the semifinal, Nole, he will find the winner between the revived David Goffin and Cameron Norrie, the enfant du pays who is still keeping the British glued to the screen.

The match

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Sinner, in front of a crowded Center Court, complete with Kate and William, the Royal Couple, in the royal box, starts immediately below 0-40. Nole already has the ability to sprint forward. He cancels the first two Janniks, but on the third a forehand mistake is fatal. The Djoker rises 2-0. The gap between the two grows quickly and worryingly and when Jannik is there, with his head on the block for the 5-2, here is the click that changes everything. Jannik recovers the break: double foul and a short ball in the net and Djokovic is 0-30 down. He halves the disadvantage with an ace, another mistake, and Sinner returns: 4-3. Not only that, the car is in motion, Sinner clears, goes on 4-4 and on 5-4 the Serbian must save himself from a break point. Nole makes a lot of mistakes, and not without the merit of Vagnozzi’s pupil, again gives up the service and sends Jannik to serve at 6-5. The South Tyrolean is on fire that takes home the first set 7-5. The second set slips away quickly, with the Serbian in great difficulty unable to command the game. The reins are firmly in the hands of the Italian who snatches the joke from Nole in the 3rd game and again in the seventh with Nole who flounders and ends up under 5-2. Jannik closes 6-2 and moves forward 2-0.

The comeback

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At the opening of the 3rd set Nole is more precise, he tries to snatch the joke from Jannik in the 2nd game but the South Tyrolean defends himself with great maturity by clinging to the service. The break, however, comes in the fourth game. With Nole serving better, he misses less and keeps the lead. Even he risks suffering a second in the 7th game, but he is good at holding on. The set yields 6-3, Nole returns to the game. And it is a mistake not to make. Break of the Serbian also in the opening of the fourth set. Musetti’s ghost in Paris begins to materialize. He becomes almost palpable in the 4th game when the former number 1 climbs 30-0 and then has the ball for the double break. Jannik collapses, both physically and, unfortunately, head. He does exactly what the Serbian cannot afford: leave the game in his hands. The set slips away quickly, and so does Jannik who falls and twists his ankle.

Djokovic also runs immediately to see what happens. But Jannik gets up and ends the set by yielding 6-2.

The epilogue

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At the beginning of the fifth set, the Centrale pays a thunderous applause. Jannik can’t afford to give up the opening line as before, or the Cannibal will tear him to pieces. 40-15 to 40-30. He takes a fundamental serving turn, but in the third game he gives up allowing Nole to go on the run 3-1. A second bloody break sends Nole to serve for the semifinal at 5-2. Obviously, he is not wrong.