Medvedev dismantled in a hurry
Unleashed Alcaraz makes dream finale perfect
07/14/2023, 8:10 p.m
Novak Djokovic is leading the way, Carlos Alcaraz is following suit: the Spaniard effortlessly stormed into the Wimbledon final. His opponent Daniil Medvedev can hardly oppose the tennis prodigy.
The dream final of Wimbledon is perfect: the reigning “king” Novak Djokovic has to fend off the attack of the “crown prince” Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. As the 36-year-old Serb plays for his fourth consecutive title and eighth overall on the sacred pitch at the All England Club in London SW 19, the Spaniard, 16 years his junior, has his first chance at lifting the Gentlemen’s Cup.
Djokovic, second in the world rankings, was the first to move into the final on a completely rainy Friday under the roof of the Center Court, defeating Jannik Sinner from South Tyrol 6: 3, 6: 4, 7: 6 (7: 4). The world number one Alcaraz followed him in fast forward: In just 1:49 hours he overran Daniil Medvedev, after all number three in the world rankings, 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 3, a demonstration of power enthusiastically acclaimed by the audience.
“It’s a dream to be able to play a final here, I can’t believe it,” said US Open winner Alcaraz, who played his first final in Wimbledon on Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky) – as the third Spaniard after Manuel Orantes (winner 1966) and Rafael Nadal (winner 2008 and 2010). “It will be difficult,” he said with a smile, “but it is a final and there is no time to be afraid. I will fight. I will keep dreaming.”
Djokovic on a record mission
For Djokovic it is the 35th final in a Grand Slam, one more than for the legendary Chris Evert and thus a record. However, the semi-final, he said, was not as one-sided as his three-set win might suggest. “The result doesn’t reflect reality, it was super tight,” he said. Djokovic still won in 2:46 hours because his opponent made “unforced errors” too often on the big points.
Sinner summarized the match very well. “I had a few chances that I couldn’t take”, Djokovic, on the other hand, “was very good in the pressure situations and didn’t make any mistakes”. And so the defending champion can match Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon wins with a win on Sunday. And like Federer and Björn Borg, he could win for the fifth time in a row.
Sinner had chances to change the outcome of the match, but missed his chances. He missed breakballs in the first game of the first set and rebreaks in the first and second sets, as well as two chances to win the third set 6: 4 or in a tie-break. The audience, who were clearly on Sinner’s side, groaned every time and threw up their arms almost as a unit.
Djokovic, on the other hand, remained ice cold even in the moments that were critical for him – he usually waited patiently until the 21-year-old Sinner made the mistake. In fact, the South Tyrolean was decisive in his first Grand Slam semi-final – he scored significantly more direct points than Djokovic, but also made significantly more mistakes. His last on the first match point.