LONDON: Alexander Zverev worked a longer shift than he would have hoped for in the fierce heat as he returned to Centre Court on Tuesday to complete his fourth-round win over Jiri Lehecka and reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.

The German second seed had gone to bed the previous evening tantalisingly close to breaking new ground at Wimbledon, leading by two sets and 3-3 in the third under the roof when Wimbledon’s strict 11:00pm curfew halted his progress.

On the resumption, a listless-looking Zverev lost 12 of the first 13 points to drop the third set as Lehecka came out swinging but managed to refocus to win 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(6).

Zverev double-faulted on a second match point in the tiebreaker but was spared further overtime as 13th seed Lehecka netted a backhand to end the contest.

His attempt to add the Wimbledon crown to his maiden Grand Slam title at last month’s French Open will continue with a heavy-metal last-eight clash with American Taylor Fritz.

The 29-year-old had reached the fourth round on three previous occasions but despite boasting a serve that can trip the speed gun at 140mph and heavy baseline power, the German has never looked as confident on the lawns.

The powerful Lehecka presented a huge test but after finally getting on court around 9:00pm on Monday, Zverev produced a clinical display and almost beat the clock.

Re-energised by the interruption, Lehecka began in stunning fashion on Tuesday and within minutes he had won the third set.

Zverev went back off court before the start of the fourth set and re-established his rhythm on serve to keep Lehecka at bay. Zverev got ahead early in the tiebreak but at 6-5 he double-faulted to hand Lehecka an escape route.

Lehecka could not take advantage of his reprieve though as Zverev booked a Wednesday date with Fritz.

Reigning champion Jannik Sinner saw off the challenge of Jan-Lennard Struff and sweltering heat to ease into his third Wimbledon semi-final.

The world number one was pushed at times by 36-year-old German Struff, but clinched an ultimately comfortable 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 quarter-final victory.

Sinner dealt well with 30C heat at the All England Club, after previous struggles in hot conditions, including when he was dumped out of the recent French Open in the second round by Juan Manuel Cerundolo after leading by two sets and 5-1.

Struff started strongly, perhaps buoyed by pushing Sinner in a tight defeat on grass at Halle last month, but fell a set down after being broken in the 11th game.

Struff carved out a set-point opportunity in the second set but Sinner held him off as it went to a tie-break.

The top seed quickly moved 5-2 in front in the breaker and clinched his fist in delight when Struff sent a backhand long to give him a two-set lead.

Struff became the oldest first-time men’s Grand Slam quarter-finalist in the Open era by reaching the last eight.

But his resistance was ended as Sinner won the last three games to wrap up the match.

On the women’s side, the all-American encounter on Centre Court went Gauff’s way as the seventh seed beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Gauff – a two-time major champion – was appearing in the last eight at the All England Club for the first time.

The 22-year-old made a sluggish start as fourth seeded Pegula, 32, took the first set.

But Gauff hit back emphatically, seizing the momentum in the second set before sealing victory in the third.

Seven years after she became the youngest player to reach the Wimbledon main draw aged 15 and then stunned Venus Williams on her debut, Gauff is two wins away from an even more impressive feat at the All England Club.

She is into the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time since winning her most recent major at the French Open last year. She is the youngest player to appear in all four Grand Slam semi-finals since Maria Sharapova in 2007.

In the last four, Gauff faces Czech 10th seed Muchova, who beat Japanese star Naomi Osaka 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

Muchova had never been past the first round in her four previous visits to Wimbledon, but she won the grass-court tournament at Bad Homburg in June.

The 29-year-old Muchova lost her only Grand Slam final appearance against Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open.

Late on Monday, Arthur Fery of Britain downed Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/7) in their fourth-round match.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026