Injured Grigor Dimitrov retires from Jannik Sinner match with two-set lead at Wimbledon
Dimitrov held a 6-3 7-5 lead against Sinner in their fourth-round match on Centre Court, but at 2-2 in the third set, the Bulgarian clutched his chest and fell to the grass on his backside – possibly struggling with a pectoral issue.
Advertisement
• LIVE: Follow the fallout from Dimitrov vs Sinner at Wimbledon
Dimitrov, 34, was checked by physios on the grass and then courtside, where he broke down in tears. He left the court for a couple of minutes before returning and declaring to his opponent and umpire that he could not continue.
The retirement was Dimitrov's fifth in a row at a grand slam, and he was visibly emotional as Sinner helped him off the court, carrying the Bulgarian's bags.
'I don't take this as a win at all,' said Sinner in his post-match interview, having checked on Dimitrov both on the grass and courtside. 'I don't know what to say. He is an incredible player, we all saw this today. He's been so unlucky in the past couple of years.
Advertisement
'An incredible player and a good friend of mine off the court. Seeing him in this way... If he could play in the next round, he would honestly deserve it. I hope he has a speedy recovery, very unlucky from his side and a very unfortunate moment for us to witness.
Grigor Dimitrov dropped to the turf in pain in the third set (Getty Images)
Physios checked on Dimitrov, who broke down in tears (Reuters)
'I think already in the last grand slams he struggled with injuries, seeing him with this is very tough: his reaction, how much he cares about the sport, he's one of the most hard working on tour. It's very sad, we wish him all the best and give him [the] applause.'
Ironically, it was Sinner who was battling an injury earlier in the match, having hurt his elbow during a fall in the very first game.
Advertisement
The 23-year-old Italian is pursuing his fourth major title but first at Wimbledon, and is hoping to put the heartbreak of a French Open final defeat behind him. In a modern classic in June, Sinner led Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to love before losing after a total of five hours and 25 minutes on the Paris clay.
And Sinner looked destined for more tennis heartbreak on Monday, as Dimitrov fought his way into a two-love lead in sets. But at 2-2 in the third, after a 10-minute delay to the start of the set as the roof was closed, it was Dimitrov who was left distraught.
Sinner spoke to Dimitrov when the Bulgarian sustained the injury (PA Wire)
Sinner consoling an emotional Dimitrov (Getty Images)
After debuting on the ATP Tour in 2008, Dimitrov made a name for himself as 'Baby Fed', due to his natural talent and the similarities in his game to Roger Federer's. However, he could not live up to expectations at grand slams, and has never gone beyond a semi-final.
Advertisement
In fact, one of Dimitrov's three semi-final runs took place at Wimbledon in 2014, and he was on the verge of booking a quarter-final spot at the All England club when he sustained his injury against Sinner.
Sinner now goes on to play Ben Shelton, the 10th seed, on Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Skupski backing British doubles stars to secure Wimbledon success
Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof celebrate with their trophies after winning the men's doubles final against Spain's Marcel Granollers and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez) By Will Jennings at Wimbledon Neal Skupski will unfurl his British flag and roar on his doubles compatriots despite his Wimbledon campaign coming to an end. The Liverpool ace, 35, and Joe Salisbury lost a tight quarter-final battle against fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos on Wednesday. Advertisement The British duo went down in a pair of tie-breaks as a 7-6(6) 7-6(3) defeat dashed Skupski's hopes of a second men's doubles title in SW19. Salisbury will now turn his attention to a mixed doubles final alongside Luisa Stefani today, while in the men's draw, both Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool navigated their way to the semi-finals with a thrilling three-set triumph against defending champions Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara. Skupski, who lost his mixed doubles quarter-final alongside Desirae Krawczyk on Monday, will travel back to Liverpool this morning but is relishing the prospect of supporting the British home favourites from afar. Advertisement 'Of course – I'll be home in the morning, but I'll be watching up in Liverpool!' said Skupski, a three-time Wimbledon champion across men's and mixed doubles. 'I'll watch Joe on the TV and the other British boys – I can put my feet up while Joe focuses on his final. 'I'll get the British flag out and cheer for the lads! 'It was close today – there wasn't much in it, we played a good match and everyone served very well. We didn't give many chances away. 'That's good grass court doubles, with everyone playing a high level.' Sixth seeds Skupski and Salisbury, a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion, beat fellow British pair Josh Paris and Charles Broom in their opening encounter at the All England Club. Advertisement Two more victories followed but a date against experienced operators Granollers, 39, and Zeballos, 40, proved a step too far. They were pushed all the way in front of a partisan Court 3 crowd but were unable to advance to the semi-finals and keep Skupski's hopes of emulating his 2023 triumph alongside Wesley Koolhof here alive. 'When you get chances you've got to take them, but those boys are obviously very experienced,' added Skupski. 'It's disappointing – I'll go over the match to see where we can improve. 'It's sad to be leaving at the quarter-final stage, but we'll reevaluate and be back next year.' Advertisement Looking ahead to his mixed doubles final, Salisbury, 33, said: 'It was a bit of a surprise getting to the final as it was a bit of a last-minute partnership. 'But it's great be in the final playing for a Wimbledon title.' PLEASE LEAVE IN FINAL PAR - For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Heat returns to Wimbledon as Aryna Sabalenka offers water and ice pack to fans at Centre Court
LONDON (AP) — Players and fans felt the impact of high temperatures at Wimbledon when Thursday's semifinal match between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova was delayed twice in the first set because of spectators feeling unwell. The affected fans at Centre Court were seated in the lower level — not shaded — and on both occasions Sabalenka walked over to offer a bottle of water. The first time, she also offered a blue ice pack. The temperature during the first set reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius). The grass-court tournament experienced record-breaking Day 1 heat when the temperature rose to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius). ___ AP tennis:
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Patten proud after Wimbledon title defence comes to an end
Henry Patten insists he and Harri Heliovaara can 'hold their heads high' after their Wimbledon title defence came to an end. The Manningtree star, 29, and Finnish partner Heliovaara fell to a battling three-set defeat against Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash in the quarter-finals. Advertisement The all-British pair triumphed in a heart-thumping third-set tie-break as a 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) victory kept their hopes of emulating Patten and Heliovaara's exploits from last year alive. The Court 2 clash was a thrilling watch throughout and Patten, who was unable to convert three match points alongside Heliovaara in the deciding set, hailed his opponents for another impressive grass-court display. 'It was a great match - the level was extremely high and there was some very, very good serving,' he said. 'That's what we expected from them - they've lost one match on grass this year and are playing some seriously good tennis. Advertisement 'They're very good all round players who play the same system as us and we know well. 'We knew it was going to be a real challenge – it was disappointing to not get over the line and every match you lose hurts a little bit. 'We'll take some time off and keep on trying. 'We knew it was difficult last year - we were well aware of the challenges and prepared as well as can. 'We can hold our heads high with how we played today.' Glasspool and Cash were the third all-British pair Patten and Heliovaara encountered at Wimbledon this year, having also beaten Dan Evans and Henry Searle and Billy Harris and Marcus Willis in their opening two matches. Advertisement That booked their place in the last 16 before scheduled opponents Jordan Thompson and Pierre-Hugues Herbert were forced to withdraw after Thompson, 31, suffered a back injury. Fifth seeds Glasspool and Cash were what stood between Patten and a place in the semi-finals, but the defending champions were unable to battle past their in-form opponents. They failed to convert three match points in the deciding set as the all British duo turned the tables to triumph in a nerve-jangling tie-break. Patten is relishing some time away from the court and visiting his long-term girlfriend, Ellie, where she is based in America ahead of the US Open next month. Advertisement 'It's now onto the next one – I haven't been able to see girlfriend for a while now,' he added. 'I'll definitely be looking to take some time to go over as soon as I can, relax for a bit and be a normal person. 'I'm really looking forward to that – that's always the silver lining whenever you lose.' PLEASE LEAVE IN FINAL PAR - For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
