It will be Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. Again.
Twelve months after Alcaraz took down Djokovic in a five-set thriller to lift the trophy at the All-England Club, they will once again battle for the title following respective semifinal victories on Friday. Alcaraz overcame Daniil Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4Â before Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4.
The Spaniard’s showdown with Medvedev was also a rematch. Alcaraz dominated 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in last year’s semis; this time around, the Russian put up a fight. Medvedev took a tight opening set, but he could not equal his opponent’s ever-improving level over the next three.
“Honestly, I feel like I’ve played better matches this year here in Wimbledon,” Alcaraz assessed. “For example, I think I played better against Tommy Paul (in the fourth round), for example. Obviously (there were) differing styles of play between Daniil and Tommy. You have to adapt your game as [best] as you can [for] both matches. It’s kind of different. I feel like I’ve played better ones.
“I’m coming into a final feeling great with really high level of tennis, really high level of confidence, moving well. I [am] confident enough to [have] a really good result on Sunday.”
Standing in his way is none other than Djokovic, who did not have much trouble with Musetti. Like Alcaraz, the 37-year-old underwhelmed through the first week of the tournament but has picked up the pace in recent rounds. Gone are concerns about the knee injury he sustained at the French Open.
“Coming into Wimbledon really before the tournament, I wasn’t sure until three (or) four days before the tournament whether I’m going to take part in it,” Djokovic reflected. “(I) made an extra effort to recover as quickly as possible just because it was Wimbledon.
“So I’m really, really happy to make the finals because I was not thinking about–particularly in the first couple of matches–the eventual title match. I was just thinking about moving well, not injuring myself, to be honest, and feeling more free so to say in my movement. That’s what happened I think in the third and particularly fourth round. I felt like, ‘Okay, I’m actually playing close to my best, and I can have a shot at the title.'”
That is exactly what Djokovic will get on Sunday afternoon against Alcaraz. The head-to-head series stands at 3-2 in favor of the Serb, who has won twice in a row since falling in the Wimbledon final last summer. This stretch includes an epic 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4) victory in the Cincinnati title match that lasted three hours and 49 minutes.
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