![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/nba-plain-74f7c611-91b9-4329-bffb-6d2dad7ed37f-696x392.png\" "\\"nba-plain--74f7c611-91b9-4329-bffb-6d2dad7ed37f\\"\/")
<\/div>\nNovak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon men\u2019s singles final for the fifth successive year with a dominant win in the last four over Jannik Sinner.<\/p>\n
Second seed Djokovic won 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) against the Italian eighth seed, leaving him one victory away from a record-equalling eighth men\u2019s title.<\/p>\n
The 36-year-old Serb could also earn a record-equalling 24th major title.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Djokovic will play Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz or Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in Sunday\u2019s final.<\/p>\n
The pair, who contest the second semi-final later on Friday, are bidding to reach their first final at the All England Club.<\/p>\n
By contrast, Djokovic has reached his ninth Wimbledon showpiece.<\/p>\n
It will also be a record 35th Grand Slam final appearance after he surpassed the tally he previously shared with American Chris Evert.<\/p>\n
Djokovic has not lost a completed match at Wimbledon since 2016 and has not been beaten on Centre Court since 2013.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the semi-finals, it was always going to be a very close and very tense match,\u201d said Djokovic, who is 14 years and 86 days older than Sinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the case and the scoreline doesn\u2019t give the reality of what was happening on the court. It was super close.<\/p>\n
\u201cJannik has proven why he is one of the leaders of the next generation and one of the best players in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried not to look at age as a hindrance or a factor of the outcome. I guess 36 is the new 26.\u201d<\/p>\n
- \n
- Experience prevails over youth \u2013 again<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The contrast between Djokovic and Sinner in terms of experience was laid bare by the statistics before the match \u2013 and borne out in reality during it.<\/p>\n
Sinner, 21, was playing his first Grand Slam semi-final, while Djokovic was contesting a 46th major semi-final \u2013 equalling Roger Federer\u2019s all-time men\u2019s record.<\/p>\n
Djokovic, who turned 36 in May, was bidding to become the third oldest man in the Open era to reach the final. Sinner was aiming to become the youngest since 2007.<\/p>\n
Knowledge of how to succeed on the biggest occasions in the sport, plus the ability to execute when it matters the most, proved to be the key.<\/p>\n
In a lengthy opening game of the match, Sinner demonstrated his firepower with two forehand winners which teed up breakpoints.<\/p>\n
But he could not take either of them in a six-minute game and paid the price when Djokovic took his only break point of the set in the second game.<\/p>\n
A third break point came Sinner\u2019s way at 3-1, but he dragged a poor cross-court forehand wide, allowing Djokovic to survive again after finding his first serve.<\/p>\n
Sinner, who led Djokovic by two sets before losing in five when they met in last year\u2019s quarter-finals, was not playing badly.<\/p>\n
But, having not faced a seed in his run to the last four, Djokovic was a considerable step up in class. It told in the moments of fine margins.<\/p>\n
Djokovic demonstrated his ability to clinically close out sets, hitting three aces and a service winner from 0-15 down at 5-3 in the opener.<\/p>\n
Djokovic had never lost at Wimbledon when he had won the first set, a run spanning 76 main-draw matches.<\/p>\n
Things looked increasingly ominous for Sinner when he handed over a break for 2-1 in the second set.<\/p>\n
A fourth chance to take Djokovic\u2019s serve went begging in the fourth game \u2013 where the Serb was docked a point for hindrance, judged by British umpire Richard Haigh to have disturbed Sinner with a long grunt, and then warned for taking too long to serve.<\/p>\n
After his jaw dropped in disbelief and had words with the official, Djokovic quickly regained focus to hold.<\/p>\n
The former world number one went on to serve out the second set without facing a further break point and few would have backed Sinner to turn the match around at that point.<\/p>\n
The Italian refused to wilt like many expected and instead raised his level to push Djokovic in a tight third set.<\/p>\n
Djokovic was becoming increasingly tetchy as a result.<\/p>\n
He had an exchange with a fan after saving two set points at 5-4, sarcastically telling them to stop crying, then smiling in the same direction after securing victory in the tie-break.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n