Djokovic sees Sinner in himself ahead of Wimbledon clash

Novak Djokovic admits he can see a lot of Jannik Sinner in himself as the pair face off for a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday. Six-time defending champion Djokovic is in familiar territory, targeting an 11th semi-final at the All England Club and 43rd at the Slams. Italian 20-year-old Sinner is yet to get past the quarter-finals of a major. "I kind of see a little bit of myself in his game from the back of the court, playing flat backhand, constantly staying on the back of the line, trying to put pressure on opponents," said Djokovic. The Serb easily won the pair's only previous meeting in straight sets on clay in Monte Carlo last year.

But beanpole Sinner impressively dismissed Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16 on Sunday, saving all seven break points faced. Before this Wimbledon, he had never won a grass court match. Sinner has been breaking new ground since his teens. In 2021, he became the youngest player in the year-end top 10 since Juan Martin del Potro in 2008. Earlier in the year, still 19, he became the first teenager to win an ATP 500-level event in Washington. He was also the first Italian finalist in the history of the Miami Masters last year. Physical frailties, however, are never far away. He had to retire from his fourth-round match against Andrey Rublev at the French Open last month with a knee injury. In Miami, foot blisters forced a pull-out when facing Francisco Cerundolo while illness in Indian Wells meant he handed a walkover to Nick Kyrgios. By making the last eight at Wimbledon, Sinner follows in the footsteps of Matteo Berrettini, who was runner-up to Djokovic last year. Berrettini was the first Italian man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Davide Sanguinetti