Reigning champion Jannik Sinner ends the run of qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki to ease into the quarter finals at Wimbledon 2026 in straight sets

Jannik Sinner was dominant as he put an end to Shintaro Mochizuki’s fairytale run to ease into the quarter finals at Wimbledon.

It was always going to be a tall order for the Japanese qualifier and a shock never looked likely as the top seed claimed a 6-3 7-6 6-3 triumph in two hours and 25 minutes.

The world number 151 made a confident start, but Sinner brushed away an early break point before converting one of his own with a probing backhand down the line.

The Italian then broke again in the ninth game to take a routine opener in 33 minutes.

An inspired Mochizuki frustrated the four-time Grand Slam champion throughout the second set but fell away badly at the death as he lost the tie-break 7-0.

Sinner broke immediately in the third and was a typically confident front-runner as he went on to break again on match point with a scorching crosscourt forehand to set up a clash with Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the last eight.

The 2025 men’s champion continues his title defence.

The Italian turns the screw on the return and slams away a simple overhead to tee up match point.

This time Mochizuki can’t deny him as a crosscourt forehand seals the victory in style.

You get the sense Sinner has not enjoyed this run-out tonight.

The world number one just wants to get the job done and has not shared much of smile with the qualifier at moments when there was certainly reason to revel in the friendly atmosphere.

Instead, he’s all business as he holds to 15 to move within a game of the last eight.

Sinner gives a second serve the treatment to threaten at 15-30 but takes on a high-risk backhand down the line that slaps into the net.

Mochizuki double faults to offer up a break point anyway, but executes a stunning serve and volley routine to fend it off.

The Japanese coughs up a second but brushes it aside with another dart forward to knife away a volley before surviving a third with a forehand that catches the outside edge of the line.

Shintaro has revelled in being a thorn in the top seed’s side tonight and eventually prolongs his stay on Centre Court with another resilient hold under intense pressure.

Shintaro shows his prowess in the forecourt once more as he surges forward to slam away a smash.

The qualifier then shows good hustle to force a volley long before a lightning bolt return leads Sinner to prod a rushed error into the net to cough up triple break point.

The Japanese drills long off a kicker serve on the second and can’t find the island with a desperate defensive lob on the second.

Jannik comes up clutch on serve on the third and again at deuce prior to edging the hold with an acute-angled volley.

Shintaro resets after blowing a 30-0 lead with just his fourth ace of the evening and then unlocks Sinner’s defence on the stretch with a spectacular backhand down the line.  

Sinner’s serve once again does the heavy lifting as he maintains his advantage with a drama-free game to 15.

Shintaro raises his hands in the air and sucks in a huge gulp of air.

The crowd respond as he grits out a dogged hold from 0-30 down and under pressure at deuce, eventually outlasting Sinner in a lung-bursting rally to get back on the board.

Sinner consolidates as he pulls clear from 30-30 courtesy of some timely first serves.

This could run away quickly from here.

Shintaro drills a backhand down the line just long to immediately surrender serve at the start of the third and Sinner will be keen to go in for the kill now.

It may have been a set, packed full of frustration for Sinner, but he releases all that tension as he jabs another winner down the line to take the breaker 7-0 and move within a set of the last eight.

Shintaro possibly stops to think about what he could achieve - and suddenly his game falls apart.

A backhand flies wide before brain freeze on a short ball sees him dump a dropper into the net.

The Japanese yells at himself as he rifles a tame forehand into the net off a rallying ball and Sinner hammers home his advantage with a return winner down the line to take complete control at the change of ends.

The qualifier earns more rapturous applause from the Centre Court crowd as a clinical overhead, a  backhand wrong-footer and a sharp serve help him through to the breaker courtesy of a mighty clean hold.

Sinner finishes with the flourish of a pair of aces as he shrugs off a double fault induced by the stray ring of a mobile phone to guarantee himself the minimum of a breaker.

Centre Court roars with delight as the underdog handles the pressure with aplomb, surging through a hold to 15 to continue to frustrate the Italian.

Shintaro plays a picture-book point as he glides to net to scrape the baseline with a sumptuous volley.

It unsettles Jannik from 30-0 up and a misfire off the Italian’s forehand makes things interesting.

The top seed stands tall at the net to swat away an angled volley and stares down his opponent’s challenge from there to apply the squeeze on the board.

We are back underway under the roof on Centre Court.

Can Sinner pull clear from here or will Mochi continue to frustrate the defending champion?

It's slightly strange timing by the officials as they step on to court to halt the flow.

There will now be a delay for the roof to close, but many will feel they could have tried to see out this set first.

Sinner makes his move with a sizzling backhand winner down the line and follows it up with a blistering return.

The Italian reads his opponent’s intentions with the move forward but bunts his latest backhand long to miss out on triple break point.

Mochizuki lands a clutch serve to make Pulp and drills a backhand winner down the line to earn game point before the top seed keeps the heat on with a ferocious forehand winner.

There is more frustration for Jannik in the face-off at deuce, but he earns a break point when he adjusts off an unfortunate slip to do enough with a crosscourt jab.

Shintaro survives a second with some exceptional work at the net, but a serve and volley tactic goes awry to offer up a third.

Sinner blows it with a tight backhand into the net and the qualifier grits out a magnificent hold as his second ace helps him wriggle out of dodge.

Sinner bookends another clean hold with aces as he takes his tally to 11 so far today.