Djokovic, Alcaraz To Meet Again In Wimbledon Final Blockbuster
Novak Djokovic swept past Lorenzo Musetti on Friday to book a second successive Wimbledon final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and move one win away from a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title.
Just five weeks after undergoing knee surgery, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic reached his 10th final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 win over the Italian 25th seed.
Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach a fourth Grand Slam final.
Djokovic, 37, can equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and become the tournament’s oldest champion of the modern era if he avenges last year’s final loss to Alcaraz.
“I have said it many times Wimbledon has been a childhood dream for me to play it and to win it,” said Djokovic, who left Serbia in his youth to train in Germany after escaping the NATO bombing of Serbia in the 1990s.
“It is worth repeating I was a seven-year-old boy watching the bombs fly over my head and dreaming of being on the most important court in the world which is here in Wimbledon,” he said.
The last time Djokovic and Musetti met was at the French Open in June when the Serb claimed victory in a third round tie which ended at 3:07 in the morning.
On Friday, however, Djokovic was untroubled on his way to a 37th Grand Slam final.
He broke for 4-2 lead in the opener and, despite surrendering the advantage and letting two set points slip in the ninth game, he broke again in the 10th to claim the set.
The second seed was playing in his 49th Grand Slam semifinal while the 22-year-old Musetti was in his first.
That experience was key as Djokovic hit back from losing serve in the opening game of the second set to level in the sixth before dominating the tie-break.
A break in the opening game of the third set launched him on his way to victory against a demoralised Musetti, who saved three match points before Djokovic completed his progress to yet another Wimbledon final.
“I feel a little sad but I have to say Novak played an incredible match,” said Musetti.
“He showed that he’s in great shape, not only in tennis but physically.”
He added: “We have played seven times but I have never seen Novak play like this today.”
Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final in a five-set thriller.
Victory on Sunday would make him only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back.
