- Jannik Sinner is the world number 1, but he is chasing his first Wimbledon title
- The Italian made light work of the big serving American youngster Ben Shelton
- Sinner will face either Grigor Dimitrov or Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
There is a school of thought that Jannik Sinner is not well known outside the tennis world, despite being the world number one. However, this week could be the week that finally brings him into the public consciousness.
Australian Open winner Sinner defeated American Ben Shelton in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals to face either Daniil Medvedev or Grigor Dimitrov. He would likely face reigning SW19 champion Carlos Alcaraz in the last four sets.
Based on the first seven days of these championships, Sinner would be the favorite not only to beat the heir to the throne of the Big Four of men’s tennis, but also to win it all and claim a second Grand Slam title.
Although the 22-year-old Sinner has yet to capture the imagination of armchair sports fans, it is clear that the All England Club – and its representatives – are keen to give him some publicity.
Simply put, you can’t let a minute go by without seeing his face on a poster in the stadium.
The chance of Jannik Sinner winning his first Wimbledon title is still there after a three-set victory on Sunday
American Ben Shelton, who served well, lost in three sets to Sinner on court No. 1
In a promotional campaign last year, Wimbledon and British tennis legend Andy Murray were left out of an illustration showing the “new guard” descending the stairs in front of players including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal. Sinner was in the foreground.
His face has appeared on Gucci billboards in central London, other modelling campaigns have featured on the escalators of Earl’s Court, a hub station where many people transfer to the District Line to SW19, and the Italian is central to adverts at Southfields and along the route to the All England Club.
Designer brands, advertisers and Wimbledon itself are clearly counting on Sinner to lead the next generation – and for good reason. He was clinical against Shelton, racing through the first two sets and showing steel when tested in the third to win 6-2, 6-4, 7-6.
Shelton was a wannabe American football quarterback as a kid, which helps somewhat in understanding where he developed his monstrous serve. He hit 15 aces, but eventually his serve failed him, causing him to double-fault and send Sinner to a 20-point tiebreaker.
Shelton will be disappointed but he has impressed again and will rise in the rankings
There was a lot of mutual respect at the end when Shelton congratulated his conqueror
Sinners still has work to do on grass, but in a relatively short match – two hours and eight minutes – he showed class and composure to push on and then secure a convincing victory.
“A very tough match, especially the third set,” said Sinner.
“In these kind of games they can last a long time – I’m very happy to finish it in three games. We want to win, but we also want to put on a show for all the fans. We try to smile and be enthusiastic on the pitch.
“The next game is going to be tough. It’s a huge honour and privilege to play here. Hopefully it’s going to be a good game to watch.”