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Sinner just couldn’t even crack a smile after that match, you know? It’s like, yeah, he’s through to the Wimbledon quarters, but you could tell it didn’t feel like a win for him more like he just kinda survived a bad scene. Dimitrov, poor guy, was actually giving him a run for his money (honestly, Sinner was staring straight at a possible early exit) until Dimitrov just crumpled on the court, clutching his chest. Brutal to watch.
And get this Dimitrov's been having the worst luck ever at Slams. Five straight retirements now? Dude literally can’t catch a break. That moment when he tried to come back after the medical timeout, eyes all red, just to realize he couldn't even serve? Knife to the heart. Sinner didn’t even celebrate; just looked totally deflated, only caring about his buddy.
He gets back out there for the interview, barely keeping it together himself, and says, “Don’t count this as a win. This sucks for all of us.” The crowd was silent, just kinda awkwardly clapping. You could feel how much both guys respect each other, especially with Sinner calling Dimitrov one of the hardest workers on tour. That’s high praise, honestly.
And, just in case you missed the drama, Sinner’s own elbow is acting up after a tumble earlier. So he’s got his own issues heading into the next round. Still, he’s now made it to seven straight Slam quarterfinals only the ninth guy to ever do that. But on Centre Court? He barely seemed to notice.
He even told the crowd to join him in applauding Dimitrov and his team. Not your usual post-match vibes at all felt more like a group therapy session.
Now Sinner’s got to go face Ben Shelton next, probably with an MRI looming and his mind definitely not on records or stats. For real, all he wanted was for his friend to get better. That’s sport for you: sometimes it’s just plain rough, and nobody really wins.