Jannik Sinner has answered any doubts about his form after a disappointing French Open, powering past Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach the Wimbledon final. The Italian, defending his title at the All England Club, won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday, showcasing the aggressive baseline game that had carried him to a 30-match winning streak earlier this year.
For Djokovic, the 39-year-old Serbian chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, the defeat marks another missed opportunity. The seven-time Wimbledon champion had come through a gruelling five-hour quarterfinal against Félix Auger-Aliassime, but could not match Sinner’s intensity from the start.
A Dominant Display
Sinner broke Djokovic early in each set, using his powerful groundstrokes to push the Serbian behind the baseline. He faced only one break point in the entire match, erasing it with an ace in the third set. The world number one has not dropped a set since his first-round five-setter against Miomir Kecmanović.
“From the start, Sinner pushed Djokovic back with his powerful groundstrokes and came up with big serves in big moments,” the match commentary noted. The victory avenged Sinner’s five-set loss to Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year.
Sunday’s final will pit Sinner against Alexander Zverev, who ended the remarkable run of British wild card Arthur Fery 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4. Zverev, the second seed, is aiming for his second Grand Slam title after winning the French Open last month.
“This Grand Slam has always been the one that I struggled with the most and all of a sudden I’m in the final of Wimbledon,” said the 29-year-old German. “We got one more match to go on Sunday and that’s what the focus is on.”
Zverev’s victory makes him the first German man to reach the Wimbledon final since Boris Becker in 1995. Becker, a three-time champion at the All England Club, congratulated Zverev on social media. The last German man to win Wimbledon was Michael Stich, who beat Becker in the 1991 final.
Fery, ranked 114th and a product of Stanford University, grew up near the All England Club and was attempting to become the first wild card to reach the final since Goran Ivanišević in 2001. The 1.75-metre Briton could not match Zverev’s serve, which reached 224 kph, and double-faulted early in the first-set tiebreak to hand the German control.
Sinner has won his last nine meetings with Zverev, including 14 consecutive sets. The Italian’s form on grass has been impeccable, and he will be the heavy favourite heading into Sunday’s final. Zverev, however, is confident after his breakthrough in Paris. “I have to trust myself and I have to believe that I can win and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said before knowing his opponent.
The final promises to be a clash of styles: Sinner’s relentless baseline power against Zverev’s towering serve and improving all-court game. For European tennis fans, it is a welcome showcase of the continent’s depth, with an Italian and a German contesting the sport’s most prestigious title.
