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Clearly, age is just a number for Novak Djokovic, who is now just one match away from securing an eighth Wimbledon title after the Serb beat Italian Jannik Sinner in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, 7 -6 in the first game on Friday. men's semi-final.
The victory ensured the 36-year-old reached a record 35th Grand Slam final, surpassing Chris Evert's record, and will now face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final.
Djokovic will be the big favorite to win a 24th Grand Slam title against Alcaraz, thus extending his record, especially since he has already won the Australian Open and the French Open in 2023.
The Serbian has lost one of the only Wimbledon finals he has reached: that was 10 years ago, when he was defeated by Andy Murray.
Ever the showman, Djokovic confronted a fan, who had celebrated after missing a first serve on break point towards the end of a tense third set. After finally holding serve, Djokovic turned to the fan and pretended to wipe tears from his eyes.
Sinner, appearing in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, left everything off the court but was no match for Djokovic's relentless brilliance.
The 21-year-old, widely regarded as one of tennis's brightest young talents, will no doubt grace this stage of a Grand Slam again in the not-too-distant future, but for now it is the sport's elder statesman who continues to reign. . in SW19.
“The semi-finals were always going to be a very close and tense match, which was the case,” Djokovic said magnanimously in his on-court interview. “Three very close sets, I think the score perhaps does not reflect the reality of what was happening on the court, it was very close.
“That third set could have been his, he was 15-40 at 5-4… he missed a couple of shots to let me into the tie-break. There was a lot of pressure in the third, I had my chances from the beginning, but he showed why he is one of the leaders of the next generation and one of the best players we have in the world.
“It's great to be part of this new generation, I love it,” Djokovic joked.
The early signs were promising for Sinner, who earned a break point in Djokovic's first service game, although he was unable to convert. However, things quickly began to unravel when Sinner's serve was broken in his first service game as Djokovic took control of the first set.
In total, Sinner had three break points to Djokovic's one in the first set, but was unable to capitalize on any of them, while his opponent ruthlessly took advantage of the only opportunity presented to him.
The second set followed the same pattern as Sinner once again lost serve early on and a dejected look appeared on his face after a rather sloppy tennis match.
There was a strange moment in the second set when referee Richard Haigh called Djokovic for a hurdle and awarded the point to Sinner, after the Serb let out a late grunt while hitting a backhand.
“The obstacle [call] “Earlier in the match today could have changed the course of the match,” Djokovic said.
“I felt very nervous after that call from the chair umpire, but I managed to regroup and it was probably the first time in my career that something like that happened.
“I usually don't get prolonged growls, maybe it was an echo from the ceiling or something. “I didn't feel like I was causing any obstacles, but it was the decision and I had to respect it.”
Haigh later penalized Djokovic for a time violation on his serve. While this time it was undoubtedly the right decision, it only served to increase the frustration of both Djokovic and the crowd.
Unfazed by the referee's decisions, Djokovic held serve before eventually taking a two-set lead.
Sinner deserves a lot of credit for continuing to fight well into the third set, pumping his fist toward his box with each booming winner, including one who clocked 100 miles per hour with the speed gun.
In fact, the young man was playing his best tennis of the match and his reward was the opportunity to take the third set in a tie-break.
However, Djokovic could not be denied, who raised the temperature again to win the tie-break and the match.
Even at the ripe old age of 36, at least in tennis terms, Djokovic says he could be playing some of the best tennis of his career.
“I'd like to believe that's the case,” he said. “I mean, we are part of an individual sport so you have to trust yourself and put yourself in the best physical, mental and emotional state possible before you go out on the field.
“So I tried not to see age as an obstacle that could change the result on the court. I feel like 36 is the new 26, it feels good.
“I feel very motivated and I am inspired to play the tennis that I really love, this sport has given me a lot and I am eternally grateful, so I will try… I guess to return the favor to this sport and play as much as I can.”
In the other semi-final, Alcaraz reached his first Wimbledon final with a dominant victory over Daniil Medvedev, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Alcaraz built a two-set lead thanks to some big hitting and skillful drop shots, and although Medvedev showed grit and determination in the final set to show his class, the world No. 1 reached his final in the famous tournament with one point. now familiar. forehand.
