Sinner to undergo MRI on injured elbow after 'unfortunate fall'

London, July 8 (IANS) After a potentially damaging fall in the early stages of his fourth-round clash at Wimbledon against Grigor Dimitrov, world no. 1 Jannik Sinner is planning to get an MRI to further analyse the injury.

Sinner, however, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon after Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury when leading 6-3, 7-5, 2-2.

In the very first game of the fourth-round matchup, Sinner appeared en route to a shock defeat, having jarred his elbow during an innocuous-looking slide to the ground. He later received a medical timeout for treatment on his elbow. Having recently split with his physiotherapist and trainer, he will work with the ATP Tour's physios on his elbow.

"It was a quite unfortunate fall. I checked the videos a little bit, and it didn't seem a tough one, but I still felt it quite a lot, especially [on the] serve and forehand. I could feel it. So let's see. Tomorrow we are going to check to see how it is, and then we'll see," Sinner said in his post-match press conference.

"Here they have good ATP physios, in any case. The doctor's good. As I said, tomorrow we are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we try to adjust it," he added.

Dimitrov was leading by two sets, when the No.19 seed collapsed to the turf holding the pectoral muscle beneath his right arm. He had just held serve for 2-2, but early in that game it was clear that he was in discomfort, and by the time he finished the game, he was almost weeping with pain.

Dimitrov barely able to lift his serving arm and was forced to retire injured. Unbelievably, it is the fifth successive Grand Slam where he has been compelled to withdraw mid-match.

Sinner, who goes through to the quarter-finals where he will face the big-serving American Ben Shelton, was full of praise for Dimitrov's effort to build a 6-3, 7-5, 2-2 lead on Centre Court.

"He served incredibly well. Very precise, also very fast. Changed up the game very, very well. It was a bit breezy, and he used the wind in the best possible way. I could feel that he prepared the match in a very good way, and he executed even better. He was playing some great tennis... I think he's showing his potential. It's very unfortunate, as I said on court. I wish him a speedy recovery,' said Sinner.