We’re in for a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic booked their spots in Sunday’s showpiece at the All England Club.
First on centre court was the Spaniard, who overcame a ropey start to defeat Daniil Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in their rematch from last year’s semi-final. Novak Djokovic hadn’t played since Monday when he took apart Holger Rune. He similarly dispatched Lorenzo Musetti, coming through 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4.
Day Twelve Wimbledon 2024 Semi-Final Results
Winner Loser Scoreline
Carlos Alcaraz (3) Daniil Medvedev (5) 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Novak Djokovic (1) Lorenzo Musetti (25) 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4
Alcaraz Advances with Masterful Medvedev Victory
Carlos Alcaraz is well poised to defend his Wimbledon crown after a determined victory over Daniil Medvedev on Friday. The 21-year-old Spaniard overcame a shaky start to secure a 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win to book his spot in Sunday’s final. Alcaraz struggled in the opening set and managed to find his rhythm and elevate his game to seal a two-hour, 55-minute triumph on Centre Court.
This win marks Alcaraz’s second consecutive Wimbledon semi-final victory over Medvedev. He will face Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final, and the Channel Slam is also a possibility after his French Open win.
In the semi-final match, Alcaraz started poorly. Much of the talk was, albeit wrongly, about his low first-serve percentage being the reason, yet that statistic is not correlated to winning tennis matches.
Instead, his forehand gave him problems, especially when he was pushed wider into that forehand corner. Medvedev took advantage of the errors, and despite failing to serve out the set, he played a convincing tiebreak to capture the first set.
However, despite the lead, I never felt like Medvedev was playing that well himself. Yes, he was solid, but it was the fact that his game doesn’t fluctuate like Alcaraz’s can, so he will always mop up if you leak too many errors.
Even after dropping the first set, the match had the feeling that if Carlos could tidy up his game, he would be stronger in too many areas to lose. It is only really defence where Medvedev is arguably stronger, but it’s hard to win matches on grass like that against strong offensive players. And that’s how it played out.
In the second set, Alcaraz started to find his range, especially on his running forehand, where his footwork looked sharper. He quickly levelled the match. From there, his confidence grew, and his all-court game came to the fore as he played with more freedom.
Djokovic Dispatches Determined Musetti
Novak Djokovic is on the brink of equalling Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon titles, having defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4. Djokovic showcased his trademark consistency and ability to take the ball early and move forward to help shorten points.
I was particularly impressed with some of the volleys he executed. While a relative weakness a few years back, he’s improved immensely in that area. So, while he’s not a ‘natural,’ he’s got some good feel up there and won 77% (43/56) of net points over three sets.
Djokovic took early control in the opening set, breaking twice before establishing a lead. In the second, Musetti, who’s had a highly impressive grasscourt season, pushed hard, using his slice backhand backed up by booming forehands to keep it competitive.
However, Djokovic doesn’t struggle with the slice ball as much as many other players. Perhaps facing the Federer slice for almost 15 years helped him get to grips with it. His knee also showed no issues when getting super low on the backhand and on worn grass courts; his movement looks perfectly sound.
From Musetti’s side, he must wonder how he played so well but lost in straight sets. In and amongst some of his flashy shots, there were some chances to get back into it, but Djokovic played a super composed match, and even when down 0-30 and pressure building, he was unflappable.
There was plenty of doubt. Coming to London about eight days before the tournament started I didn’t know whether I would play the tournament or not. I was keeping everything open until the day of the draw. I played a couple of practise sets with top players and an exhibition match which proved to me I was in a good enough state to be not just part of Wimbledon but to go deep.
I said before the tournament that if I didn’t think I had a chance of going deep in the tournament, I probably wouldn’t be playing. The mentality is there, ever present and I am just very pleased and thankful to all the team members for helping me.
Wimbledon 2024 Final
Carlos Alcaraz (3) vs Novak Djokovic (2)
