Novak Djokovic to face Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon final as he bids to equal Roger Federer’s eight titles
Novak Djokovic is one win away from equalling Roger Federer's eight Wimbledon titles after advancing into Sunday's final.
The Serbian star duly dispatched Italy's Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in straight sets to move a step closer to a record-extending 24th Grand Slam.
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He will face world number one Carlos Alcaraz, after the 20-year-old Spaniard beat Dannil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first Wimbledon final.
Victory for world No.2 Djokovic will see him pull two clear of Rafael Nadal in terms of Grand Slam wins, while he would also equal Margaret Court's record of 24 major singles titles.
Djokovic has now reached the Wimbledon final on five consecutive occasions, with the exception of 2020 when the tournament wasn't held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 36-year-old, who has now won 34 straight matches at the All England Club, has lost just one final at Wimbledon.
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That came in 2013, when Andy Murray picked up his second Grand Slam title on grass.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic paid his respect to Sinner, as he stressed the straight sets win doesn't do justice to his opponents display.
He said: "Semi-finals was always going to be very close and very intense.
"I think maybe the scoreline doesn't give the reality of what happened on court. It was super close.
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"He missed a few shots and allowed me to get into the tie-break. He has proven why he is one of the leaders in the next generation and one of the best players in the world.
"It's great to be part of this new generation, I love it."
Pressed on whether he is playing the best tennis of his career, he remarked: "I'd like to believe that's the case.
"We are part of an individual sport so you have to rely on yourself and put yourself in the best physical and mental state before heading out on court.
"I feel 36 is the new 26, it feels pretty good. I feel a lot of motivation.
"This sport has given me and my family a lot. I will return a favour to this sport and play as much as I can."
Djokovic had been left fuming at the umpire during the second set of the match, where he was penalised for 'hindrance' for a loud grunt.
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Commenting on the incident, he stated: "The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group.
"It's probably the first time it's happened to me, I don't normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect."
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