TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center-Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic return to Wimbledon final

It took some searching,TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center but Carlos Alcaraz finally found his A-game to tame Daniil Medvedev and reach his second consecutive Wimbledon final.

The defending champion overcame an erratic first set to beat the Russian 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Friday.

He will face Novak Djokovic in a rematch of last year's five-set Alcaraz victory. Djokovic beat Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in Friday's second semifinal.

When Medvedev's forehand drifted wide on match point, Alcaraz leaned back and roared in celebration and perhaps relief that he had managed to turn a contest in his favor after it looked like it could turn ugly.

Alcaraz's game at its best perfectly balances risk and reward, tempering the moments of magic with an ability to apply relentless, tireless pressure.

Yet his tournament so far has been typified by lapses in concentration and drops in intensity that have allowed his opponents to claim footholds in contests that should have been more one-sided.

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Medvedev, who was brushed aside by Alcaraz in straight sets when the pair met at the same stage last year, claimed the opening set in a tiebreak with the sort of consistent pin-point hitting that was eluding his opponent.

The French Open champion needed five sets to edge Frances Tiafoe in the third round, four to beat Ugo Humbert in the next and also trailed American Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

But just when it seemed that fifth seed Medvedev had the Spaniard on the ropes, Alcaraz's game came together and in the blink of an eye he had taken the match away from the Russian.

"He was dominating the match and playing great tennis with his serves. It was difficult for me and he tried to pull out all the shots," said Alcaraz. "It was helpful to be up 2-1 and after that I could enjoy the match. In general I think I played a good match."

The first set was Alcaraz's tournament in a nutshell as the breathtaking shot-making was punctuated all too frequently with errors and unnecessary risks, gifts that Medvedev gleefully accepted.

The pair exchanged breaks of serve twice, with Alcaraz hitting back a second time when the Russian was serving for the set at 5-3, with Medvedev earning a code violation from the umpire for his reaction.

That did not seem to knock him off course, however, as he raced through the tiebreak in double quick time.

Yet the man that Alcaraz had said was "like a wall" in the lead-up to the contest was suddenly looking far more fragile.

Alcaraz had tamed his wilder instincts and started to apply more consistent pressure on his opponent, waiting for his moments to strike.

He broke in the fourth game of the second set with a stinging forehand passing shot on the run and after levelling the contest he set about turning up the dial even further.

He broke for a 2-1 lead in the third set when a Medvedev forehand was off target and than seemed in cruise control, barring the odd blip, such as when he inexplicably dumped a tame overhead into the net at 5-3, smiling as he held his head in his hands.

That did not seem to interrupt his flow, however, and after he wrapped up the set he immediately broke again at the start of the fourth with a huge forehand winner that left Medvedev floundering and drew gasps from the Centre Court crowd.

The Russian was not quite done yet and broke back immediately, but that was not the cue for Alcaraz to let his levels drop once more. He still had the bit between his teeth and broke for a 4-3 lead when a Medvedev backhand drifted long.

A service winner brought up match point which Alcaraz seized, ending the contest to move a step closer to a fourth Grand Slam title.

Novak Djokovic beats Lorenzo Musetti

Djokovic produced some of his best tennis to outclass Italian 25th seed Musetti 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4 on Friday and reach a 10th Wimbledon final.

With Centre Court still filling up following Alcaraz's win, second seed Djokovic broke after a breathtaking 26-shot rally in the sixth game of the opening set.

The 37-year-old raised his arms and demanded more from the crowd, but that only spurred Musetti into action as the 22-year-old broke back for 4-5 with a bullet forehand - only to give the set to his opponent after a shaky service game.

Musetti quickly made amends and inroads in the second set, producing a stunning backhand pass for a 3-1 lead, but Djokovic was unperturbed as he clawed his way back and raised his level significantly at the end to clinch the tiebreak.

With a sixth consecutive All England Club final and his first of an unusually patchy season within sight, the 24-times Grand Slam champion pounced for a break in the opening game of the third set with a backhand crosscourt winner.

Djokovic mixed up his game by serving and volleying to leave Musetti on the ropes, before staving off a late comeback attempt from the Italian to save a breakpoint and prevail on his fourth match point when the Italian sent a shot long.