London: Seven-times champion Novak Djokovic produced some of his best tennis to outclass Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4 on Friday 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's 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.
Published 12 July 2024, 19:11 IST