LONDON: World number one Carlos Alcaraz set up a blockbuster Wimbledon final against seven-time champion Novak Djokovic after sweeping aside Daniil Medvedev on Friday.

Alcaraz dominated the semi-final 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 and will on Sunday attempt to prevent Djokovic from winning a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club and 24th career major.

Djokovic earlier defeated Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to reach his ninth Wimbledon final.

“I believe I can beat Djokovic,” said Alcaraz, who lost to the Serb in the French Open semi-finals in June.

Alcaraz only won seven games when he suffered a straight sets loss to Medvedev at Wimbledon just two years ago.

Back then, however, he was 75 in the world while Medvedev was at number two in the rankings.

On Friday, serve dominated the opener until Alcaraz converted a break point for a 5-3 lead which he backed-up with a love service game.

Medvedev had his only break point snuffed out in the second game of the second set and US Open champion Alcaraz pounced again in the third on his way to a convincing lead.

Alcaraz was a break to the good for a 2-0 lead in the third set before four further successive breaks gave the finale a sloppy appearance.

The Spaniard, however, steadied himself, moving into his first Wimbledon final with a spectacular running forehand, his 27th winner of the match.

Djokovic defeated beanpole Italian Sinner on Centre Court, where the Serbian star hasn’t lost in 10 years.

Victory came tinged with controversy when Djokovic was penalised for hindrance and warned for slow play in the same game during the second set.

Djokovic, playing in his 12th Wimbledon semi-final, fought off three break points in the first set while only needing one of his own in the second game to secure the opener.

The 36-year-old Serb had declared himself favourite for the title on the eve of the semi-final and he backed up that confidence with another break of the Italian for a 2-1 lead in the second set.

Seven-time champion Djokovic stretched to a 3-1 lead in a bizarre fourth game.

Firstly, he was docked a point for hindrance following a loud grunt which accompanied a down the line backhand.

Umpire Richard Haigh then handed him a code violation for taking too long between points.

“The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group,” said Djokovic, the first player, man or woman, to reach 35 finals at the Slams.

“It’s probably the first time it’s happened to me, I don’t normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect.”

Despite that double blow, Djokovic still claimed the set courtesy of his seventh ace of the contest against a player who took a two-sets lead against him in the quarter-finals last year before the champion pulled through in five.

Djokovic squandered three break points in the third game of the third set, then saved two set points in the 10th game.

Djokovic turned on his tormentors in the crowd, who were loudly supporting Sinner, by feigning mock tears after he dashed their hopes of a breakthrough for the Italian.

He then dominated the tie-break to rack up victory and close in on Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic was very much the senior citizen of the semi-finals — nine years older than Medvedev, 15 years the senior of Sinner and with a 16-year head-start on Alcaraz.

“I feel 36 is the new 26, it feels pretty good. I feel a lot of motivation,” said Djokovic who saved all six break points he faced in his semi-final.

When Djokovic won the first of his 23 majors at the Australian Open in 2008, Alcaraz was still three months shy of his fifth birthday.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023