This was the moment. If Novak Djokovic was going to be stopped in the Wimbledon semifinals, if his much younger and harder-hitting opponent, Jannik Sinner, was going to turn things around Friday, the monumental comeback required would need to start immediately.
Djokovic knew it. Sinner knew it. The 15,000 or so Centre Court spectators knew it.
After taking the first two sets, Djokovic trailed 5-4 in the third and a flubbed forehand made the game score 15-40 as he served. Two chances for Sinner to finally break. Two chances for him to actually take a set. Djokovic hit a fault, which drew some sounds of approval from the stands. Djokovic sarcastically used his racket and the ball to applaud the noise-makers, then flashed a thumbs-up.
The 21-year-old Sinner, playing his first Grand Slam semi-final, was outclassed, falling flat on the big occasion and allowing Djokovic, 14 years his senior, to turn the screw at key moments in the contest.
He let break points slip through his fingers, including two set points in the third, while Djokovic was clinical as usual, applying constant pressure on the Italian's serve and pouncing on opportunities when they arose.
Djokovic will be the overwhelming favorite to win a record-extending 24th grand slam title against Alcaraz, not least because he’s already won the Australian Open and the French Open in 2023.
Should he triumph for a fifth consecutive year at Wimbledon, Djokovic will on Monday begin his record-extending 390th week atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Alcaraz is this week spending his 28th week at World No. 1. That tally places him 16th on the all-time list, ahead of ATP greats including Mats Wilander, Andy Roddick and Boris Becker.
No one in the half-century history of computerized tennis rankings -- men's and women's -- has spent more weeks at No. 1 than Djokovic, who currently is No. 2. But that number does not reflect his form at the moment.
This was Djokovic's 46th major semifinal and Sinner's first, and that seemed obvious at the most crucial junctures.
Sinner was quite close to reaching that stage a year ago at the All England Club: He took a two-set lead in the quarterfinals against Djokovic, who came all the way back to win in five.
That sort of work was not required on this afternoon. Djokovic never let it come to that.
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