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Novak Djokovic was handed a heartbreaking three-set defeat by world no 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-final of the Wimbledon as the Serbian was forced to put his dream of winning a record 25th major title on hold. Sinner will take on Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon men’s final, after the Spaniard defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the semifinals.
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Djokovic’s latest defeat came in just under two hours and by a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline. There were brief flickers of a fight from Djokovic on Friday in the semis, after he initially saw Sinner take a two-set lead without too much resistance. Then, Djokovic sprung into gear, taking a 3-0 lead in the third set to spark hopes of a famous comeback. But it wasn’t to be. Sinner soon rode to a 4-3 lead in the third set, before sealing the final set by a 6-4 margin.
“Amazing, cannot believe. It was a tournament I always watched on the TV when I was young, I could not imagine being here playing in the final,” Sinner said after the win, when reminded that he would be playing in his first final at Wimbledon.
Since 1995, five men have made it through to the final of every Grand Slam: Sinner joins the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
“It’s some good company,” Sinner said to giggles on the centre court. “It shows I’m growing as a player on all surfaces,” he added.
The 38-year-old Serbian, meanwhile, was chasing a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title. The defeat at Wimbledon comes on the heels of the French Open last month, where Sinner had again defeated the Serb in straight sets in the semi-finals.
Djokovic had breezed past a 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals, but his resistance ended against another 23-year-old, world no 1 Sinner in the semis.
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