[Source: Reuters]

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev edged out ailing world number one Jannik Sinner in a grinding five-set battle to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second successive year.

A strange match full of momentum shifts and lulls was absorbing rather than thrilling but Medvedev did not care as he triumphed 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 on a covered Centre Court.

It snapped Medvedev’s five-match losing sequence to Sinner and avenged his bitter defeat by the Italian in this year’s Australian Open final when he squandered a two-set lead.

Medvedev, who is bidding to add to his 2021 U.S. Open title, will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or American Tommy Paul in his ninth Grand Slam semi-final.

Top seed Sinner, who fell at the semi-final stage last year to Novak Djokovic, won the opening set in a tight tiebreak after saving a set point.

But mistakes began to creep into his game, and after losing the second set courtesy of a sloppy service game he required medical attention early after dropping serve at 1-1 in the third and disappeared off court, apparently feeling ill.

Sinner looked groggy on his return but suddenly snapped back to life and hit back from 5-3 down in the third set with some crisp hitting as Medvedev’s game went off the boil.

But he could not convert two set points in the 12th game and was dragged into a tiebreaker that Medvedev sealed with an ace.

The 22-year-old Sinner dominated the fourth set, dropping only 12 points, and looked the favourite heading into the decider as for the 36th time at this year’s Wimbledon a men’s singles went the distance – a new record for a Grand Slam tournament in the professional era.

Russian Medvedev re-focused though and got an early break of serve which ultimately proved decisive as he calmly ticked off the games for victory in exactly four hours.