LONDON: Reigning champion Jannik Sinner eased into his fifth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final with a straight-sets victory over Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki on Sunday.
The world number one was given a spirited challenge by the 151st-ranked Mochizuki, but secured a 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 success to set up a last-eight tie with German veteran Jan-Lennard Struff.
"I tried to stay aggressive. I had some chances in the second set and couldn't use them, but I'm still very happy, trying to step up the level as we go," said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Sinner did not play a grass-court warm-up event ahead of Wimbledon for the first time and looked a little undercooked earlier in the week, especially when he needed five sets to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
But he has grown into the tournament and produced his best performance of the week in the last 16, saving all five break points he faced.
Mochizuki had joked he expected Sinner to "try to destroy him" and said he would mix up his game to try and disrupt the Italian's flow.
The top seed was never in any serious trouble, though, of suffering a shock exit like in his second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the recent French Open.
Sinner needed two hours and 25 minutes to wrap up victory under the Centre Court roof and remain on a semi-final collision course with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.