Jannik Sinner crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals to set up the latest instalment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.
The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match – and his first at the All England Club – after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Centre Court on Friday.
The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month’s epic Roland Garros final.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men’s tennis, claiming the past six majors between them.
Defeat on a baking Centre Court means seven-time champion Djokovic must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title after failing in his latest bid to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight men’s Wimbledon crowns.
It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017.
Italy’s Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall against Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth-round.
Djokovic also came into the match, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli.
Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down.
The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point.
Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match.
Djokovic struggles
Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle.
Chants of “Nole” rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic but he was powerless to prevent Sinner opening up a 5-2 lead.
He saved a set point on his own serve but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock.
Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli.
He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover.
Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point.
Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland Garros showpiece.
Now he has chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass.
Sinner trails 8-4 in their head to head meetings, losing the past five matches.
The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, which ranks as his rival’s last defeat at the All England Club.
AFP
