World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz dismantled Daniil Medvedev to set up a dream Wimbledon final against history-chasing Novak Djokovic.
The 20-year-old became the youngest man to reach the final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 with a commanding 6-3 6-3 6-3 semi-final victory on Centre Court.
Alcaraz, the top seed, will face Djokovic, the seven-time champion who is 16 years his senior, in Sunday’s mouth-watering showpiece.
“As I said before it is a dream for me playing a semi-final here, to be able to play a final here at Wimbledon I can’t believe it,” Alcaraz said.
“I am going to enjoy this amazing moment for me and [then it’s] time to keep training.
“It is really difficult to close the match, you have to be really focused against Daniil, he fought to the last moment.
“He is an amazing fighter, runner, player. I had to show my best in that tough moment and play aggressive. I had to be myself and that was the key to close that match.”
Medvedev, the third seed and the 2021 US Open champion, has been playing some superb grass-court tennis this fortnight.
But Alcaraz is no respecter of reputations, and the changing of the tennis guard could finally be on the cards if the man from Murcia plays with this ferocity against Djokovic.
Medvedev clearly had a gameplan and stood so far behind the baseline to receive the Alcaraz serve that he was virtually on Court No 1.
It was a tactic which Alcaraz exploited, serving and volleying to great effect as well as throwing in his usual dose of drop shots.
Alcaraz, the current US Open champion who won on the turf at Queen’s last month, took advantage of a solitary break of serve to make the first move, hitting a vicious return to the feet of Medvedev, who could only float his reply long.
At 1-1 in the second, a stunning reaction volley at the net brought up another break point for the youngster, converted with almost audacious ease, and another break put him two sets up with a little over an hour on the clock.
Medvedev twice retrieved breaks in the third but it was only delaying the inevitable, with Alcaraz relentless, and he sealed a stunning victory in the most amazing fashion by winning an extraordinary match point.
