Novak Djokovic defeats Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 in the men’s singles semifinals, and will meet Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon 2024 final.
Novak Djokovic, the most accomplished men’s tennis player of the contemporary era, defeated Lorenzo Musetti in a routine three-setter in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s singles semifinal on Friday. Djokovic had a tough start to the first set, being broken early, but the Serbian ace put on his best performance, defeating the Italian in the opening three sets to secure a decisive triumph. Djokovic will now meet Carlos Alcaraz in the final on Sunday. Alcaraz had beaten Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in four sets.
Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, advanced to his tenth All England Club final with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory over Italy’s 25th seed.
If Djokovic, 37, avenges his dramatic five-set final loss to Alcaraz last year, he will tie Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon victories and become the tournament’s oldest champion of the modern era.
The last time Djokovic and Musetti met was at the French Open in June, when the Serb won a third-round match that concluded at 3:07 in the morning.
On Friday, however, Djokovic was unconcerned on his route to a 37th Grand Slam final.
In the first game, he broke for a 4-2 lead. In the ninth game, he gave up the lead and let two set points go, but in the tenth game, he broke once more to win the set.
While Musetti, 22, was participating in his first Grand Slam semifinal, the second seed was playing in his 49th.
That expertise proved crucial as Djokovic recovered from dropping the first game of the second set on the break to equalize the score in the sixth and then win the tie-break.
He defeated a demoralized Musetti with a break in the first game of the third set; at least, Musetti was able to salvage three match points before Djokovic advanced to yet another Wimbledon final.
World No. 3 Alcaraz defeated his fifth-ranked opponent earlier, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. On Sunday, he will play for the title against either Lorenzo Musetti or seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
In a thrilling five sets, Alcaraz overcame Djokovic in the 2023 championship match.
It’s obvious that this match will be quite challenging. “I’ll see who I play on Sunday,” declared Alcaraz, who defeated Medvedev with 55 victories to only 31.
“It seems like I’ve aged out. Before the final, I know how I’m going to feel. I’ve had this role previously.”
“I started really nervous today,” he continued. Daniil was playing excellent tennis and controlling the game. For me, it was challenging.”
Medvedev was pegged back in the first set despite leading with breaks on both occasions when he was defeated by the Spaniard at the same point last year.
He was so upset that, in the ninth game, umpire Eva Asderaki gave him a warning for unsportsmanlike behavior after he appeared to react foul-mouthed to a ball that was called for bouncing twice.
Asderaki even called the tournament supervisor and referee to Centre Court, but Medvedev dismissed the incident, winning the opening set and the tie-break with just eight unforced errors to the Spaniard’s fifteen.
Alcaraz lost the opening set at Wimbledon for the third time this year.
Having won the opening game thanks to a 27-shot comeback, Alcaraz bounced back spectacularly, breaking Medvedev for a 3-1 advantage in the second.
The 21-year-old went on to win 14 games in the third set and earned the game’s lone break.
A break was recovered early in the fourth set by Medvedev, who had eliminated world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz, however, persisted in his attack and edged ahead once more for a 4-3 lead before winning.
