FILE-Carlos Alcaraz of Spain (left) shakes hands with Novak Djokovic of Serbia after winning the men's singles final tennis match on the last day of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, July 16, 2023. (Photo by ADRIAN DENIS/AFP)
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and seven-time winner Novak Djokovic could clash in the Wimbledon final on Friday.
However, he also faces Daniil Medvedev and Lorenzo Musetti, who have both reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Alcaraz, Medvedev to play again
FILE – Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Russia's Daniil Medvedev reach the Wimbledon semi-finals. Reuters/Dylan Martinez
Spain's world number three Alcaraz beat Medvedev in straight sets in the semi-finals at the All England Club last year, before the Russian avenged that defeat with an impressive win in the last four at the US Open.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz is seeking to reach his fourth Grand Slam final and also aims to become the sixth player to win the French Open and Wimbledon consecutively.
It has been an uneventful Wimbledon for the Spaniard – he was pushed to five sets by Frances Tiafoe in the third round and then needed four sets to beat Ugo Humbert and Tommy Paul.
READ: Rare talent Carlos Alcaraz on his way to '30 Grand Slams'
Alcaraz holds a 4-2 lead over Medvedev, a player he compared to “a wall from which every ball bounces back”.
Medvedev is trying to reach his seventh Grand Slam final.
The fifth-seeded Russian, a former US Open champion, avenged his Australian Open final loss to the Italian in January by beating top seed Jannik Sinner in five sets in the quarter-finals.
“It's tough to play against Carlos because you know whatever shot you hit, he can hit the winning shot from there,” Medvedev said.
Medvedev has hit 64 aces so far, while Alcaraz has hit 52. He has dropped serve eight times, while Alcaraz has had his service game violated 16 times.
Djokovic to face Musetti in generation game
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves the ball to Holger Rune of Denmark during the Men's Singles tennis match on day eight of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, south-west London, on July 8, 2024. (Photo: Andrej Isakovic / AFP) / Restricted to editorial use
Djokovic equalled Roger Federer's record by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals for a 13th time and is two wins away from equalling the Swiss star's record of eight singles titles at the All England Club.
A win on Friday will take him to his 10th final of the tournament.
At 37, Djokovic could also become the oldest champion of the modern era, an impressive feat for a man who underwent knee surgery just last month.
READ: Djokovic through to Wimbledon semifinals after de Minaur injury
He has lost the Australian Open and French Open titles this season and is yet to reach a tour final.
He got a chance to enter the last four on Friday after Alex de Minaur withdrew from his scheduled quarter-final due to a hip injury.
The Serbian was in a fiery mood at Wimbledon and accused fans of disrespecting him during his last-16 win over Holger Rune.
“If somebody crosses the line, I react,” he said.
READ: Djokovic sparks discussion with Wimbledon fans after latest win
Djokovic has a 5-1 record over Musetti, including a come-from-behind five-set win at the French Open last month.
That third-round match set the record for the latest finish at Roland Garros, with Djokovic completing the victory at 3:07 a.m.
Musetti, 22, also took Djokovic the distance in their first meeting at Roland Garros in 2021, when the Italian won the opening two sets of their last-16 encounter before injury dashed his hopes in the decider.
“He's a legend everywhere, but especially here at Wimbledon,” Musetti said.
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“I expect a great fight. It is one of the toughest challenges. But I am an ambitious person and I like challenges.”
