The reigning champion and World No 1 has been banished from Centre Court. Jannik Sinner will play his Wimbledon quarter-final on No 1 Court today, a relegation that adds an edge to an already high-stakes showdown. The Italian, on a mission to defend his crown, faces the tournament's giant-killer: Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff, who at 36 became the oldest man in the Open Era to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Sinner is scheduled to walk out at 1pm BST – the opening match on No 1 Court, meaning no waiting for a gruelling five-setter to finish. With the court boasting a state-of-the-art retractable roof, even the notorious British summer clouds should not cause a delay. UK fans can watch every smash on the BBC.
“Reigning champion Jannik Sinner faces giant-killer Jan-Lennard Struff on No 1 Court at Wimbledon quarter-finals today.”
Struff, ranked World No 74, has been playing possessed on grass. In the first round, he battled past clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez in a five-set epic, then won a chaotic five-set thriller against 28th seed Brandon Nakashima. The third round saw a straight-sets destruction of World No 8 Daniil Medvedev, followed by a fourth-round comeback from two sets down against Hubert Hurkacz. His high-risk, ferocious brand of tennis has already sent shockwaves through SW19.
Sinner leads the head-to-head 3-0, but their only previous meeting on grass was an incredibly tight affair. The top seed will have to be at his absolute best to avoid an upset. Wimbledon fans are strapping themselves in for a blockbuster Tuesday as the singles quarter-finals get underway.