Novak Djokovic books his place in Wimbledon final with dominant win over Lorenzo Musetti to set up rematch against last year’s winner Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic felt the love and then touched the clouds with his tennis. Even the provocateurs on Centre Court would not have dared to boo him yesterday, such was the quality of the match that took this pantomime villain to his 10th Wimbledon final.
There he will meet Carlos Alcaraz for a repeat of last year’s five-set epic and a meeting that will have us talking about passing torches or lasting flames. But those discussions about Djokovic’s prospects for revenge can wait.
For now, it’s worth thinking about a semifinal that, from a one-dimensional perspective of the numbers, will look like a straight set beatdown of the 25th seed by a seven-time champion. What a terrible disservice that would do to Lorenzo Musetti.
There were moments in this match when it felt like Djokovic versus Djokovic, wall against wall, a master of the retriever unable to find a way past a retriever 15 years his junior. It was riveting and brilliant, and every bit as thrilling as the five-setters they’ve fought twice at the French Open, the most recent of which lasted until 3am last month.
Djokovic won both times on clay, and the 37-year-old did so again here, winning 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 in just under three hours. The beauty, however, was in the details, which he scored in the marathon.
It was found in the prodigious one-handed backhand that Musetti shaped into a winner to break early in the second set. In the drop shots that repeatedly stopped dead and out of Djokovic’s reach. In the ferocity of the younger man’s forehand winners.
With those shots, the 22-year-old Italian breathed life into a second week that at times felt rather flat. So it’s worth pausing to consider just how good Djokovic had to be to beat him, and from there it’s worth noting that he had undergone surgery on his right knee just 25 days earlier. With all that in mind, there should be no doubt that the Djokovic who takes on Alcaraz on Sunday is up to speed.
He also seems to be in a slightly better mood, certainly compared to the combative figure who was so upset by the crowd after his round of 16 victory over Holger Rune. Were they booing? Were they just rehashing his opponent’s name? Or was it a case of Djokovic nursing a grudge to deceive himself and shift into a higher gear?
Who knows with this guy, but against Musetti he was warmly received by the spectators. Not as warm as the challenger, although there was no aggression in the way Djokovic greeted his victory by grabbing his racket and repurposing it as a fake violin. Not this time.
As Djokovic reached the final, which is remarkably the 37th match he has contested at Grand Slams, he said: ‘This tournament is a childhood dream for me. To play it, to win it. As a seven-year-old boy in Serbia, watching the bombs fly over me, I dreamed of being here on Centre Court at Wimbledon. I made a trophy out of every material in the room. The visualisation was powerful and I never take it for granted.
‘I’m very happy to be back in the final, but I hope I can win that trophy again on Sunday.
“If I didn’t think I had a chance to go far in the tournament, I probably wouldn’t be playing (so soon after surgery). I’m just really happy to have gotten to where I am now.”
Speaking about the challenge that awaits him in his revenge mission against Alcaraz, Djokovic said: ‘He is a great example of a young player with a balanced life, great people around him and a player who behaves well both on and off the court.
“He’s one of the best 21-year-olds we’ve seen in this sport. He’s going to win a lot more slams, but hopefully not this one in two years. Maybe in the future in 15 years when I retire.
“Jokes aside, he beat me here last year, so I expect nothing less than a huge fight. He’s as complete as they come. It’s going to take my utmost effort to beat him.”