Paolini avenges Sinner defeat and flies to Wimbledon semifinal

Sinner misses out on the semifinals at Wimbledon but the Italian afternoon is much less bitter thanks to Jasmine Paolini's splendid victory that earned her a place in the top four: it is the first time for an Italian on English grass.

Jannik, favourite in the quarters against that Daniil Medvedev whom he had defeated in the last five direct clashes, lost in the fifth 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 in four hours. It was a hard-fought match (beautiful only at times: many errors on both sides), and even dramatic when the Italian called themedical time out ("my head is spinning", he implied, leaving the court) at 2-1 to the Russian in the third set, after a second set in which he had appeared tired and tarnished.

Eleven very long minutes of worry (one assumes a drop in pressure or sugar), then the Italian returned and play resumed. Sinner, trailing by a break, managed to counter-break his opponent at 5-3, going up 6-5. At this point, the Italian failed to take advantage of two set points and the subsequent tiebreak smiled on Medvedev (7-4), who played with great care, not repeating the errors of the first decisive game (in which he had made, among other things, a double fault on set point).

Sinner, you know, mentally does not give up. He started again with grit, serving well, while Medvedev was suffering from glaring lapses, and almost by impulse won the fourth set in half an hour 6-2. But in the fifth set, the Russian returned to play with the continuity he had shown almost throughout the match, with his shots always deep, responding well, defusing the Italian's geometries. Sinner is left with the regret for that third set not taken home and for the physical condition that did not allow him to express himself at his best. Medvedev will now face Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Tommy Paul in four sets.

Our Jasmine Paolini and Emma Navarro then took the court. A crushing victory for the Italian with a 6-2, 6-1 that speaks for itself: confident, aggressive, she picked up several points at the net (the doubles match with Sara Errani also bore fruit in the singles), beating the American who had eliminated world number two Coco Gauff in the round of 16. Paolini will now face Croatian Donna Vekic (who won in the third against New Zealand's Lulu Sun) for a match that would be her second consecutive Slam final after Roland Garros.