Jannik Sinner through after injury denies tearful Grigor Dimitrov

Jannik Sinner was the most fortunate man in Wimbledon last night after his inspired opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, was forced to retire for a fifth consecutive grand-slam while leading by two sets.

The 19th seed from Bulgaria had dominated the world No 1 to go 6-3, 7-5 up in their fourth-round match when he clutched his chest after serving an ace to make it 2-2 in the third. He collapsed to the turf in clear distress with an apparent muscle injury. Sinner vacated his end of the court to check on him.

In obvious discomfort and shaking his head, Dimitrov briefly left the court to see if he could continue, but returned soon afterwards to face the inevitable and shake hands with Sinner. Understandably, he was in tears as he exited. The Italian cut a downbeat figure as he reflected on what had transpired.

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“I don’t take this as a win at all,” he said. “This is just a very unfortunate moment for us to witness. He has struggled a lot with injuries. We saw his reaction and how much he cares about this sport. This is not the end we wanted to see. If there was a chance he could play the next round then he would deserve it.” He then called for a round of applause for his opponent.

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That was magnanimous and honest because Dimitrov had been brilliant to that point, and with Sinner hampered by an elbow problem following a slip, a huge upset loomed large. But Sinner moves on. There are plenty of people in tennis who believe he is fortunate to be at Wimbledon because of the timing and brevity of his three-month anti-doping ban served earlier this year, and if did not want to progress in such a manner, his luck was unquestionable.

It had been gruelling from the start for Sinner, who was humbled as well as hurt. He called a medical timeout in the second set for treatment on his right elbow, but was already struggling with the Bulgarian’s serving prowess and huge forehand.

Sinner suffered an injury of his own that could affect his quarter-final preparations KIN CHEUNG/AP

Sinner said the scenario was made worse by the pair being friends, although that relationship had not prevented Dimitrov from a candid response when quizzed about Sinner’s anti-doping issue last year. “Double standards, this is essentially what I say.” That assessment might have added a layer of intrigue as he faced Sinner for the first time since his comments, but the level of his tennis was such that nobody was thinking about off-court issues.

Once dubbed Baby Fed, he is now 34 and played more like Old Man Fed, watching from the Royal Box, his one-handed backhand a nostalgic treat. For Sinner it got worse as he ­repeatedly shook his right arm, evidently in pain. He had descended into the ­maelstrom. “It happened very early in the match and I felt it quite a lot,” he said, revealing he would have an MRI scan on Tuesday. “To see if it’s something serious and then we will try to adjust it.” That concern meant he was not thinking about his quarter-final opponent, Ben Shelton, the man he beat in last year’s fourth round.

For Dimitrov it was as if all the promise of the past decade was coalescing into a night of practical magic. Ten years ago it looked like a grand slam final was inevitable. It has never happened, although he has made three semi-finals, including at Wimbledon in 2014.

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Dimitrov has now been forced to retire in his past five grand-slam appearances ALAMY

However, in his first service game, Sinner was broken for the first time in these championships. That luscious backhand, with traces of Federer’s own signature, was in its rhythmic groove, and Dimitrov raced into a 3-0 lead. Having retired from four consecutive grand slams, a record for the modern age, his ability to go the distance was always going to be a doubt, but when he is at his best he can be a wonderful player. Fifteen winners earned him the first set and he then took the first eight points of the second.

Struggling with his elbow, Sinner then called for the trainer at 3-2 down. Dimitrov remained calm and carried on. At 5-4 you wondered if the nerves would start to jangle as the size of the advantage loomed. Sure enough, a forehand looped long and he was broken. Undaunted, he was back with his big groundstrokes, stretching for a volley, making Sinner look unusually ungainly. A blocked return landed at Sinner’s feet and he had been broken again. It looked like it was going to take something Herculean from Sinner to turn the tide or for Dimitrov to become consumed by doubt. Of course Sinner dug deep, saving two set points, but Dimitrov was relentless. Two sets up now.

At that point they closed the roof. Andy Murray was one of those baffled by that decision. “Ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match,” he said. “At least an hour of light left. It’s an outdoor tournament.” Only Dimitrov knows whether that delay and change in temperature affected his body.

So not for the first time, Dimitrov will have to lick his wounds. Sinner, though, stumbles rather than marches on. We will have to see whether he has any pivotal physical issues and whether Dimitrov’s superiority – 36 winners to 19 – sows any self-doubt.

The top seed has just released a duet with Andrea Bocelli, reciting aphorisms while the tenor sings his new release Polvere e Gloria. Think Nessun Dorma with new balls. The title means Dust and Glory. His challenge was almost dust. After the sling and arrows of outrageous fortune, glory remain a possibility.

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