LONDONsure, who used excellent serving and his trademark booming forehand to defeat the 10th-seeded 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 and secure a second trip to the semifinals, didn’t play like someone who was nursing with an injured right elbow on Wednesday.
Two days after he was injured when he tripped and fell in the first game of his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, the top-seeded Sinner wore a white sleeve on his right arm with strips of tape visible underneath, one above the elbow, and one below it.
Suggested Videos
Sinner claimed that during that match, he experienced pain whenever he struck serves or forehands. He lost the opening two sets before advancing to the quarterfinals when Dimitrov retired in the third set due to a torn chest muscle.
After having an MRI on Tuesday, Sinner, the three-time Grand Slam champion from last month, first postponed a practice session but subsequently participated in a light session at an indoor court to hit some balls.
In the opening set against Shelton, Sinner grabbed 27 of his 29 service points and amassed 15 winners to only one unforced error, giving the impression that nothing was wrong.
Shelton, however, remained by his side until the tiebreaker at two all. With the aid of a double-fault and four straight forehand mistakes by Shelton, Sinner then jumped ahead.
At the beginning of the second set, Sinner had two break points, but he saved both and was never in danger again. In that set and the final game of the match, he broke the big-serving Shelton twice.
Sinner will face either No. 22 seed Flavio Cobolli or 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in his second Wimbledon semifinal. Sinner was eliminated by Djokovic in 2023, the only previous time he advanced this far at the All England Club.
___
AP tennis:
