Novak Djokovic’s inevitable march to the Wimbledon final was only met by the briefest of interruptions. Unfortunately for Jannik Sinner, it didn’t come from him. Despite the young Italian’s spirit and fine shot-making, Djokovic’s grip on this semi-final was unrelenting, absorbing the power of one of the biggest hitters in the game and closing out a dominant 6-3 6-4 7-6 win that was only complicated by a couple of difficult moments - namely from the chair umpire, Richard Haigh, and some pockets of the Centre Court crowd.
Carlos Alcaraz, through after beating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, will need to offer more resistance than Sinner managed here, as well as doing a far better job of taking his chances when the two best players in the world meet in Sunday’s final. It’s a dream final, with all the ingredients for a classic. Djokovic, though, is playing better than ever. “36 is the new 26,” he smiled, once the tension had subsided.
