Sinner defeats Zverev in four sets to retain Wimbledon title

Jannik Sinner retained the Wimbledon men’s singles championship on Sunday, beating Alexander Zverev in four sets after losing a tight opening set, AFP reported. The win gave the Italian world No. 1 his fifth Grand Slam title and his first major since his Wimbledon victory a year earlier, according to AFP.

Sinner defeated the French Open champion 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court in a match that AFP said lasted three hours and 46 minutes. AFP reported that the final was shaped for long stretches by dominant serving before Sinner gradually took control.

The victory was Sinner’s 100th match win at the four Grand Slam tournaments, AFP reported. It also moved him to within two major titles of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz’s career total, according to AFP.

Sinner finished with 58 winners and 25 unforced errors, AFP reported, holding firm against a player who entered the final on a 13-match winning run at majors. The result extended Zverev’s losing streak against Sinner to 10 matches, according to AFP.

Serve-led start gives way to Sinner surge

Zverev saved the only break point of the first set before forcing a tiebreak, AFP reported. The first 15 points of that breaker went with serve, with both players saving set points, before Zverev took the set with a forehand winner, according to AFP.

The second set also reached 6-6 without a break point, AFP reported. Sinner then raised his level in the tiebreak, winning it 7/2 to bring the match level at one set each.

Zverev earned his first break point in the seventh game of the third set, according to AFP, but lost his footing as Sinner played a drop-shot winner. AFP reported that Zverev held his knee after the fall and that Sinner crossed the net to check on him before helping him up.

Sinner broke in the following game after Zverev’s serve faltered, AFP reported. The German threw his racquet after sending a forehand long on break point, and Sinner then served out the set to love, closing it with an ace, according to AFP.

In the fourth set, Sinner broke for a 4-3 lead, AFP reported. He served out the match in a final game that included two of the strongest rallies of the contest, then fell to the grass after ending the final with a forehand winner on match point, according to AFP.

Zverev’s best Wimbledon run ends in defeat

AFP reported that Zverev had not previously reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in nine appearances before this year’s run. He arrived in London after winning his first Grand Slam title at the French Open, according to AFP.

Zverev was trying to become the first German man to win Wimbledon since Michael Stich in 1991, AFP reported. Despite the defeat, AFP said he will rise above Alcaraz to No. 2 in the ATP rankings on Monday.

Sinner’s season record improved to 44-3, and Wimbledon marked his sixth title of the year, according to AFP. AFP reported that his only serious scare at the tournament came in the first round, when he came from behind to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.