Key events<\/p>\n
Yes, it was roundabout 1988 I or anyone else used the word eggy to describe anger; what of it? Meanwhile, Gauff is in more trouble, down 15-40, and if she loses her serve here, she\u2019s in big trouble. She was fortunate to beat Solana Sierra in round two and in that match, as well as against Liu and Bencic, she more or less personalitied her way to victory \u2013 it was good character rather than good play that got her through. But she makes it to deuce, retrieves a lob then hits a winner for advantage, then closes out a vital hold. Pegula will have noticed, though she leads 6-4 0-1.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n A framed forehand and a double give Struff an unlikely 0-30, then at 30-all, Sinner fails to put away a ball he really should, erring as the rally progresses. Then, on break-back point, he overhits a forehand, and somehow, Struff is back in set two at 2-2. Sinner is, by his standards, very eggy with himself.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n At 15-all, Pegula offers a tepid second serve so Gauff attacks it, but schlepping the ball from over her shoulder, she can only send it long, then a backhand down the line means she\u2019s down to break points. And only one is required, a very poor forehand landing in to the net, halfway up, and Pegula leads 6-4.<\/p>\n Jessica Pegula takes the first set. Photograph: Clive Brunskill\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.17 EDT<\/p>\n Struff\u2019s first-serve percentage is plummeting \u2013 I fear Sinner has his measure now. Two errors give him 15-30, then a backhand return is too good, earning two break points, and a forehand return then secures the break. Sinner leads 7-5 2-1 and already, this feels over; Gauff holds for 4-5, forcing Pegula to serve for the first set.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n All that effort and Gauff returns her break-back in tame fashion \u2013 she plays those kinds of games far too often, and they\u2019re one reason I was a little surprised she won majors when she did. Of course I expected her to eventually, but I didn\u2019t think she was ready, nor ready to win in Paris; Pegula consolidates and leads 5-3 in the first.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Down 15-30, Struff finds a service-winer, but then nets a volley, letting it drop too far below the level of the net. A service-winner follows then, playing the second break point, a ball falls out of Struff\u2019s pocket, so they go again \u2013 if it happens a second time, eh loses the point \u2013 but this time, he\u2019s good to go, another service-winner makes deuce, and from there, the German closes out. Sinner leads 7-5 0-1.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Gauff hits the tape and the ball clambers over then drops; 0-15. And when Pegula goes wide on the backhand, she\u2019s a chance to make something happen, lashing a return on to the line that requires too much footwork, too quickly, to get back. And when Pegula again goes wide, we have that predictable break-back, to love, and we\u2019re back on serve at 3-3 in the first.<\/p>\n Coco Gauff hits a shot to Jessica Pegula. Photograph: Glyn Kirk\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.16 EDT<\/p>\n Up 30-0, Sinner swats wide; a mahoosive ace out wide follows, then Struff sweeps a backhand wide, and that concludes a 7-5 first set, tight until it wasn\u2019t. There was one drop, the champ was there to take advantage, and that is a lesson in elite sport; can Struff learn from it?<\/p>\n Pegula, meanwhile, is playing nicely, up 3-2 with a break, but there were signs in Gauff\u2019s last hold that she\u2019s settling.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.01 EDT<\/p>\n OK, Sinner holds for 5-5, then nails a forehand and a return; Struff can\u2019t get close to the first, then nets the second, and at 0-30, he\u2019s in trouble \u2013 all the more so when his first serve is long. Sure enough, Sinner\u2019s return is on point, the riposte hitting the net, meaning hr\u2019s three break points. The first is confiscated via ace \u2026 and the second \u2026but then given a look at another second serve, an inside-out forehand winner secures the break, the champ upping it when he needed to, and he\u2019ll now serve for set one at 6-5.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Oh man, serving at 4-4 15-all, Struff doinks a simple smash into the net, which both reflects and brings pressure. But from there, he secures his hold for 5-5, while Pegula consolidates to lead Gauff 2-0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019re away on Centre, Gauff netting a forehand for deuce, and Pegula will surely target that wing \u2013 if she has to, a netted backhand giving her advantage. And I\u2019m afraid no one will be surprised to learn that a double follows;[Pegula leads 1-0, with a break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.45 EDT<\/p>\n Down 40-0, Struff makes room for a winner sent from corner to corner, then Sinner frames a forehand and misses a first serve; pressure. And when he goes long, again off the forehand, we move to deuce, the German floating a poor rally-ball backhand slice over the baseline, then a netted forehand hands over the hold for 4-4 \u2013 but Sinner is not yet settled.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Another love hold for Struff and suddenly, Sinner will be noticing a bit of scoreboard pressure, down 3-4 in the first. He\u2019s not yet made any kind of impression on return, nor hit many winners, both of which are surprising.<\/p>\n Jannick Sinner reaches a forehand. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.53 EDT<\/p>\n On Centre, Gauff and Pegula are out; Pegula wins the toss and has to think for a short while before deciding to receive.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Struff makes 0-15 and is well in the next point, until he swipes a forehand wide, then he again loses patience in a 19-stroke rally, wellying wide once more. A service-winner follows for 40-15 then, offered a second serve, Struff attacks, coming in to dispatch a fine volley, doubles hands to the fore. The more situations of that ilk he can generate, the better for him, and when Sinner spins a forehand long, to deuce we go \u2026 but not for long. The champ quickly serves out, and we\u2019re level at 3-3 in the fifth.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.34 EDT<\/p>\n Now a love hold for Struff, who\u2019s started pretty well and leads 3-2 He looks confident, but he\u2019s not yet been put under pressure and I wonder if he can offer more testing returns. Even if he needs to stand back to give himself a better look at Sinner\u2019s serve, he has to try and dig into it rather than hope e can struggle to a tiebreaker.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nana Sinner appears to have been busy knitting Jannik\u2019s top; that, or Nike have rinsed him with gear yet again.<\/p>\n Photograph: Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Here he is as Luigi.<\/p>\n Photograph: Javier Garc\u00eda\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Taking advantage of the US Open dress code to rock a fetching shade of rust.<\/p>\n Photograph: Yuki Iwamura\/AP<\/p>\n The famously complementary colours of olive, white and yellow.<\/p>\n Photograph: Rachel Bach\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Anyroad up, Struff makes deuce from 40-0 \u2013 for all the good it does him. Sinner secures the hold in short order and we\u2019re level at 2-2 in the first.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n At 30-0, Struff nails one down the T, then Sinner swipes an inside-out backhand wide and that\u2019s another comfy hold for the German; he leads 2-1, and they\u2019re still feeling each other out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Er yeah, about that. Sinner holds to love for 1-1; Struff is playing the long game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A 6\u201d6, 36-year-old man with socks pulled up and a baseball hat on backwards; has anyone got a number for The Hague? Meantime, Struff holds to 30 and will feel much better about life; I reckon he\u2019ll go at Sinner\u2019s serve, especially on second delivery.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Our players are almost ready. Sinner elected to receive, perhaps hoping that Struff, at 36 the oldest man in the open era to reach a first major quarter-final, is nervous. Play.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n To our first match, and how does Struff get at Sinner? Well, the unpalatable truth is I\u2019m not sure he does \u2013 if Sinner plays properly, this isn\u2019t a contest, whatever Struff does. But Sinner\u2019s hitting from the back, especially down the line \u2013 usually so consistent \u2013 has been a bit off lately, so perhaps, if Struff can\u2019t finish points early with his concussive forehand length, it might be worth seeing if he can incite the error by hitting balls deep and down the middle of the court.<\/p>\n More likely, though, I expect Struff to take the Stanimal approach and attack everything, hoping to hit a a seam. I also wonder if he\u2019ll try and drop-shots, looking to get Sinner tired but also to use his doubles-generated volleying advantage.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On BBC, they note that Gauff hasn\u2019t made a Wimbledon<\/a> quarter until this year, though she made round three as a 16-year-old. Mainly, that\u2019s because grass doesn\u2019t suit her game as well as other surfaces \u2013 her serve isn\u2019t where it needs to be, and it\u2019s harder to hide her forehand than it is on clay, where theres more time to adjust feet.<\/p>\n Pegula, on the other hand, is a better-rounded player, but without the big weapons you need to win majors. Her returning, though. is good enough to give Gauff fits and the two, who used to play doubles together, are good mates, which adds a further dimension to this match. Bottom line: I don\u2019t think either are ready to win this title.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Also going on:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Wotcha and welcome to Wimbledon 2026<\/a> \u2013 day nine!<\/p>\n Now we\u2019re getting serious. Two show courts, 10 players in form, and each of them tingling, contemplating the feeling of a lifetime.<\/p>\n We begin on No 1 Court with Jannik Sinner<\/a>, one of only two players in either draw to have won this title before. But, after an astounding run earlier in the year, his body failed him at Roland Garros and he hasn\u2019t looked his usual impregnable self since.<\/p>\n Naturally, elite sport being the ruthless brute that it is, the other players have twigged; where once they knew they were done for, now they fancy it, and though Jan-Lennard Struff isn\u2019t the likeliest candidate to dethrone the champ, to get to this point he\u2019s beaten Seb\u00e1stian B\u00e1ez, Brandon Nakashima, Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz. Or, in other words, he\u2019s in form and feeling himself.<\/p>\n Opening up on Centre half an hour later, we\u2019ve got Jess Pegula \u2013 desperately chasing the maiden grand slam title but constantly crashing into her athletic ceiling \u2013 against Coco Gauff<\/a>, taken to a deciding set in three of her four matches so far, but one of sport\u2019s great explorers; few are better at finding a way to win. If Pegula plays well, pulling it off isn\u2019t beyond her and, at 32, she\u2019s running out of time so, given the way the seeds have fallen, knows she\u2019ll never get a better shot. She\u2019ll tell herself to the contrary because how else can she go on, but in her heart she knows: her career is on the line here.<\/p>\n The match of the day, though, comes second on No 1, where Naomi Osaka<\/a>, fresh from dispatching Aryna Sabalenka, now faces a very different challenge. Karolina Muchova \u2013 another chasing the debut major she\u2019s seen players of far less talent seize \u2013 blends touch, craft and power in a way that\u2019s ideal for grass courts. Can Osaka thrive against an opponent able to put her in uncomfortable positions and likely to haul her to the net? She\u2019s going to have to.<\/p>\n Second on Centre, an interlude: Alexander Zverev leads Jiri Lehecka by two sets to love, and the pair will return locked at 3-3 in the third to finish a match called off last evening. Most likely, the no 2 seed finishes the job in short order, but both players know that if his level drops, he\u2019s vulnerable.<\/p>\n