Jannik Sinner is moving on to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, not the way he wanted. Thinner lost the first two sets of his fourth match against Grigor Dimitrov on Monday, and Dimitrov was then forced to retire from the match after receiving an apparent chest injury.
Dimitrov played great tennis, running sinners around the court and offering a booming serve. Dimitrov won his first set of 6-3, set 7-5, and survived a hard-charged comeback attempt from the Italians to put the world number one in a desperate position.
Unfortunately for Dimitrov, a player who has been heavily affected by the effects of injuries throughout his career, one of his big serves left him to grab the right side of his chest.
Dimitrov was able to continue for a moment, but after another service he was clearly in pain and sat on the grass while the sinner and the medical team were checking him out.
Dimitrov continued to be checked on a side job before being taken back for further examinations. It took only a few minutes for an emotional Dimitrov to return to court and shook his head and hold back his tears.
Monday was Dimitrov’s fifth consecutive withdrawal from an injury-related Grand Slam event.
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Thinner, who hadn’t played his best tennis, was angry at the outcome and injuries of the players he called “good friends.”
“To be honest, he’s an incredible player so I don’t know what to say,” Sinner said. “I think we all saw this. He’s been very unlucky over the past few years. He’s an incredible player and a good friend of mine. Honestly, if he has the chance to play in the next round, he’s deserved it.
The sinner is now in the quarter-finals to face America’s Ben Shelton. He was dealing with his own physical problems, so the path ahead may be tough for the sinner.
Thinner’s right arm bothered him during the match, leading to a medical timeout in the second set. Whether that injury is the reason his form was off on Monday, and whether it will continue to affect him as the tournament moves forward.
