LONDON  -  World number one Jannik Sinner quelled the challenge of big-serving 14th seed Ben Shelton with a 6-2 6-4 7-6(9) victory that sent him into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday. Shelton, who has consistently sent down rockets on the slick turf at the Grand Slam this year, started aggressively under the Court One roof by serving and volleying in a bid to unsettle the Australian Open champion. Sinner was equal to the task, however, and broke the feisty American twice to comfortably pocket the opening set. The Italian consolidated an early break in the second set with a booming ace and pulled away for a two-set advantage, as Shelton was left with another battle on his hands having been dragged the distance in each of his last three rounds. The 21-year-old raised the hopes of fans by breezing ahead 4-1 in the third set but Sinner ran his opponent ragged with his power and precision to draw level after eight games and saved a breakpoint to force a tiebreak. Shelton came from behind but squandered all four set points he earned, as Sinner held his nerve to secure the win and book a meeting with either fifth seed Daniil Medvedev or 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov.

Wimbledon’s reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz was pushed to the limit for the second match in succession but once again stood firm to beat Ugo Humbert and reach the quarterfinals. Outplayed at times by his French opponent, third seed Alcaraz dug deep to triumph 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 to move through to the last eight at a Grand Slam for the ninth time. Just as against American Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, Alcaraz struggled to contain an inspired opponent throwing the kitchen sink at him but this time narrowly avoided being dragged into another five-setter. French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time after a totally distraught Madison Keys was forced to call it quits at 5-5 in the third set with a suspected groin injury. Playing under a closed Court One roof on yet another soggy day at the All England Club, Keys appeared to have one foot in the last eight when she went to serve for the match at 5-2 up the deciding set but clutched her left groin immediately after getting broken. The American 12th seed called for the trainer one game later and limped off court for a medical time out before re-emerging with her left thigh heavily strapped. Upon resumption, she started sobbing after netting a drop shot to fall 15-40 behind. Although the 29-year-old saved the first break point with a stupendous backhand winner, she was again in tears after surrendering her serve with a double fault. Clearly struggling to even walk between points, Keys somehow conjured a lob to win the first point off Paolini’s next service game. But when she saw the next point whizz past her for an ace, she shook her head and signalled it was all over as she walked to the net to give her Italian opponent a tearful hug. The Italian seventh seed had produced a stirring comeback from 5-1 down in the second set to force a tiebreak and the final score ended up being 6-3 6-7(6) 5-5 in Paolini’s favour when a heartbroken Keys had to call it a day.