Injury concerns fade as Sinner tames Shelton to reach Wimbledon semi-finals

LONDON :World number one Jannik Sinner shrugged off any fears about his injured elbow with a clinical defeat of powerful young American 10th seed Ben Shelton to reach the Wimbledon semi-final for the second time on Wednesday.

On a muggy afternoon on Court One, the high-octane clash was decided by the finest of margins. But when it mattered most, Sinner was clinical, seizing the few opportunities that came his way in ruthless fashion for a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 victory.

Sinner, who wore a long white sleeve to protect his right arm, lost only two points in his opening six service games but could not dent Shelton's booming delivery either before reeling off seven consecutive points to storm through the tiebreak.

Shelton, trying to reach his third Grand Slam semi-final, kept swinging in fearless fashion but could not land a telling blow on the three-time Grand Slam champion.

He faltered at 4-5 in the second set as Sinner converted just his second break point opportunity of the contest to take a stranglehold of the quarter-final.

It was a repeat script in the third set. Sinner applied pressure in the 10th game and Shelton cracked, double-faulting before bashing a forehand long after two hours and 19 minutes.

The 23-year-old Sinner is aiming to banish the pain of losing in last month's French Open final by becoming the first Italian to win Wimbledon and next up is either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, the man he was beaten by in the 2023 semis, or compatriot Flavio Cobolli.

After Monday's drama when Sinner fell and hurt his elbow against Grigor Dimitrov, who then himself retired hurt when leading by two sets, this was business as usual for Sinner who has now reached the semi-finals of the last four Grand Slams.

"Of course, the feelings