Sinner overcomes tricky Borges test at Wimbledon

Sinner overcomes tricky Borges test at WimbledonImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jannik Sinner dropped just one set at Wimbledon last year - and that was in the final against Carlos AlcarazByEmily SalleyBBC Sport journalistPublished8 minutes agoJannik Sinner's tricky start to his Wimbledon title defence continued as he overcame a stern second-round test against Nuno Borges.The world number one needed three-and-a-half hours to battle past an inspired Miomir Kecmanovic in five entertaining sets on Monday.But the Italian looked more assured as he returned to Centre Court two days later and patiently ground out a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win against a resilient Borges.Ranked 48th in the world, Portugal's Borges thrilled the crowd and was the better player at times, but Sinner upped his level when it mattered before charging through the third set to seal his ninth straight victory at the All England Club. "I need to get back to the rhythm, but if you look at the scoreboard it was very close and matches like these help me a lot," Sinner, who will face American Jenson Brooksby next, said."There are obviously a couple of things to improve, but I'm very happy."Sinner opted against contesting a grass tournament in the lead-up to Wimbledon, despite suffering a seismic second-round loss at the French Open at the end of May.When he squeezed past the 50th-ranked Kecmanovic in a match where he lacked sharpness and struggled physically, it felt like the decision could come back to haunt him.While still not quite at his metronomic best against Borges, striking 29 unforced errors, this was an improvement on his performance against Kecmanovic.In a tight opening first set, Borges impressed with a mix of hard hitting and delicate drop shots, but he faded towards the back end of the tie-break and Sinner asserted control.Sinner did not face a single break point in the opener, but the briefest of blips allowed Borges to take a break lead early in t...