Rematch on grass: Djokovic vs Alcaraz

MANILA, Philippines — Novak Djokovic swept past Lorenzo Musetti on Friday to book a second successive Wimbledon final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and move one win away from a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title.

Just five weeks after undergoing knee surgery, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic reached his 10th final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 win over the Italian 25th seed.

Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach a fourth Grand Slam final.

Djokovic, 37, can equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and become the tournament’s oldest champion of the modern era if he avenges last year’s final loss to Alcaraz.

“I have said it many times Wimbledon has been a childhood dream for me to play it and to win it,” said Djokovic, who left Serbia in his youth to train in Germany after escaping the NATO bombing of Serbia in the 1990s.

“It is worth repeating I was a seven-year-old boy watching the bombs fly over my head and dreaming of being on the most important court in the world which is here in Wimbledon,” he said.

Djokovic knows the threat posed by the dynamic Alcaraz.

“He is deservedly one of the greatest 21-year-olds we have seen in this sport. We will see a lot of him in the future no doubt. He is going to win many more Grand Slams, but hopefully in two days not this one.”

 The last time Djokovic and Musetti met was at the French Open in June when the Serb claimed victory in a third round tie which ended at 3:07 in the morning.

On Friday, however, Djokovic was untroubled on his way to a 37th Grand Slam final.

Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final in a five-set thriller.

Victory on Sunday would make him only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back.