London, July 5 (EFE).- World number one Jannik Sinner eased into the Wimbledon round of 16 on Saturday, sweeping past Spain’s Pedro Martínez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in a rain-affected match on Centre Court.
Playing under a closed roof due to the weather, Sinner delivered a dominant performance that left little room for the Spaniard, who was making his debut on Wimbledon’s main stage.
Sinner’s explosive start set the tone, as he won 15 of the first 18 games.
Martínez managed to get on the scoreboard at 5-1 in the opening set, shortly after receiving medical treatment for a right shoulder issue that affected his serve.
Avoiding a first-set shutout was a small but hard-earned consolation for the Spaniard.
Martínez earned credit for his resilience in the second set, where he stayed competitive and even had three break points that could have leveled the score at 4-4. But Sinner, showing his sharp awareness of critical moments, raised his level to fend off the threat.
In the third set, Sinner quickly shut down any hopes of a comeback, accelerating from the start as Martínez, despite playing solid tennis, struggled to keep pace with the scoreboard reading 6-1, 6-3, 5-0.
The Italian remains one of only two players, alongside compatriot Flavio Cobolli, to reach the last 16 without dropping a set. He will next face the winner of the match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sebastian Ofner.
For Martínez, the run means a career milestone: a place in the top 50 and prize money of £240,000 (about €280,000).
He also picked up a small bonus thanks to last-minute sponsorships from a travel booking company and a beer brand, whose logos appeared on his shirt, a common arrangement for players not often seen on Centre Court. EFE
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