Jannik Sinner beats Nuno Borges in straight sets to advance at Wimbledon
World number one Jannik Sinner has advanced to the third round of Wimbledon after a hard-fought straight-sets victory over Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
The Italian ground out a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win against the resilient 48th-ranked Borges on Centre Court.
It was a much-improved performance from the top seed, who required three-and-a-half hours to battle past Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-set marathon on Monday.
Sinner will now face American world number 81 Jenson Brooksby for a place in the last 16.
Finding rhythm on the grass
Despite opting against a grass-court warm-up tournament following a disappointing French Open exit, the 22-year-old looked visibly more assured in London.
Borges thrilled the crowd with a mix of heavy hitting and delicate drop shots, even threatening an upset when he secured an early break in the second set.
However, the Portuguese player faltered when trying to serve out the set to level the match.
The 29-year-old missed a crucial set point before an unforced error gifted the break back to his relentless opponent.
Sinner subsequently charged through the resulting tie-break and recovered from a poor opening service game in the third set to seal the victory in two hours and 32 minutes.
“I need to get back to the rhythm, but if you look at the scoreboard it was very close and matches like these help me a lot.”
Jannik Sinner
The world number one acknowledged he struck 29 unforced errors but remained positive about his progression.
“There are obviously a couple of things to improve, but I’m very happy,” he added.
Pundits praise competitive test
The challenging nature of the opening rounds could prove highly beneficial for Sinner as he navigates the latter stages of the tournament.
Three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe told BBC TV that the difficult match was exactly what the top seed needed.
“That is just what the doctor ordered. Highly competitive and he lifted his game. He is going to go into Friday feeling a lot better than he was on Monday.”
John McEnroe
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash echoed these sentiments on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“When you look at the end result then that is pretty good, especially considering the way Borges played in the first two sets.”
Pat Cash
Cash noted that while the Italian is not yet flowing at his absolute best, finding his forehand rhythm will be enough to maintain his momentum.