Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic produced some of his best tennis to outclass Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4 and reach a 10th Wimbledon final, where he will meet holder Carlos Alcaraz in a mouthwatering 2023 rematch.
With Centre Court still filling up following Alcaraz' 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Daniil Medvedev a short while earlier, second seed Djokovic broke after a breathtaking 26-shot rally in the sixth game of the opening set.
The 37-year-old raised his arms and demanded more from the crowd, but that only spurred Musetti into action as the 22-year-old broke back for 4-5 with a bullet forehand - only to gift the set to his opponent after a shaky service game.
Musetti quickly made amends and inroads in the second set, producing a stunning backhand pass for a 3-1 lead, but Djokovic was unperturbed as he clawed his way back and raised his level significantly at the end to clinch the tiebreak.
With a sixth straight All England Club final and his first of an unusually patchy season within sight, the 24-times Grand Slam champion pounced for a break in the opening game of the third set with a backhand crosscourt winner.
Djokovic mixed up his game by serving and volleying to leave Musetti on the ropes, before staving off a late comeback attempt from the Italian to save a breakpoint and prevail on his fourth matchpoint when the Italian sent a shot long.
Alcaraz fightback
It took some searching, but Alcaraz finally found his A-game to tame Medvedev after an erratic first set.
When Medvedev's forehand drifted wide on match point, Alcaraz leant back and roared in celebration and perhaps relief that he had managed to turn a contest comprehensively in his favour that had looked like it could turn ugly.
Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Alcaraz's game at its best perfectly balances risk and reward, tempering the moments of magic with an ability to apply relentless, tireless pressure.
Yet his tournament so far has been typified by lapses in concentration and drops in intensity that have allowed his opponents to claim footholds in contests that should have been more one-sided.
The French Open champion needed five sets to edge past Frances Tiafoe in the third round, four to beat Ugo Humbert in the next and also trailed American Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.
It felt entirely appropriate, therefore, that 2021 U.S Open champion Medvedev, who was brushed aside by Alcaraz in straight sets when the pair met at the same stage last year, claimed the opening set in a tiebreak, with the sort of consistent pin-point hitting that was eluding his opponent.
But just when it seemed that fifth seed Medvedev had the Spaniard on the ropes, Alcaraz's game came together and in the blink of an eye he had taken the match away from the Russian.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final at Wimbledon. Photo: AFP
"He was dominating the match and playing great tennis with his serves. It was difficult for me and he tried to pull out all the shots," Alcaraz said.
"It was helpful to be up 2-1 and after that I could enjoy the match. In general I think I played a good match."
The first set was Alcaraz's tournament in a nutshell as the breathtaking shot-making was punctuated all too frequently with errors and unnecessary risks, gifts that Medvedev gleefully accepted.
- Reuters