Wimbledon 2023 men’s semi-final recap: World number one Carlos Alcaraz sets up final showdown with Novak Djokovic after outclassing Daniil Medvedev

Carlos Alcaraz books his spot in a maiden Wimbledon final as he outclasses the No.3 seed Daniil Medvedev in one hour and 49 minutes on Centre Court.

The Spaniard served out to 30, finishing off with a brilliant forehand on the run, and will now meet Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final in what will be a battle for the trophy and the World No.1 spot.

The break-a-thon continues and that could be that for Medvedev whose imperious first serve has deserted him.

Alcaraz will now serve for the match.

Daniil won’t lie down though. The Russian chases a drop volley and blasts the ball at Alcaraz’s racquet to force an error before angling away a volley to conjure up two break back points.

Alcaraz looks ruffled after showboating a bit early on and blows a backhand to cough up the break once again.

On we go!

Alcaraz immediately finds a couple of extra gears with a 100mph forehand winner and a sizzling return that made a powerhouse serve look tepid.

The Spaniard sees two break points staved off by some special defence from the Russian and the No.3 seed fends off another two at deuce, but Alcaraz won’t be denied as he clouts away a smash to make it a reality on his fifth opportunity.

That’s a loose game from Carlitos and it gives Daniil a much-needed lift.

Medvedev actually dropped deeper on the return, despite that being at odds with what armchair experts were jumping on the bandwagon about, and it actually paid off as he hit some solid returns and lured a succession of surprising errors from the Spaniard. A double fault compounded the youngster’s lull, but having said all of that, don’t expect it to last too long…

Medvedev hasn’t been able to live up to his pre-match chatter about serving BIG on the grass.

However, he does chalk up a fifth ace in this game – just one more than Alcaraz – and manages to close out and get on the board to 30 with an emphatic smash.

The top seed consolidates from 30-30 with a delicious drop volley and a big serve down the T.

It’s one-way traffic. Medvedev throws in a double fault as things seem to go from bad to worse and he’s struggling to neutralise the 20-year-old’s power, not to mention the low slice. It all contributes to a break to 15 and it’s hard to see anything but a straight sets victory for Carlitos from here.

That was a work of art. The Spaniard produces a brilliant volley, a fourth ace and an improvised 1-2 punch via a low slice to kick off Set 3 with ANOTHER love hold.

Alcaraz turns defence into attack with a blistering forehand and clocks up triple set point with a delightful wrong-footing slice. Medvedev digs deep with two clutch serves but then he can only scoop wide a low return to his feet and the top seed is now just one set away from a Wimbledon final.

It’s another love hold for Carlitos and the 20-year-old is homing in on a two-set lead.

Things could still change but at the moment the top seed is having an easy ride against the No.3 seed.

Medvedev is far too casual with a simple but woeful smash and immediately has to play catch up. He then survives at 30-30 when Alcaraz misses a forehand up the line by a whisker, and makes that let off count with a forehand winner to slam the door shut.

Medvedev desperately needs to do more on the return. Could he change that deep position? He’s very reluctant to do so, but he’s getting little change at present as Alcaraz marauds to a clean game to maintain a set and a break advantage.

Medvedev reminds Alcaraz, the crowd and quite possibly himself that he’s not going anywhere just yet with a rapid love hold.

The game-plan isn’t working for the Russian and despite being regarded as one of the sport’s great problem solvers, he doesn’t seem to have found a new strategy to force the top seed out of his comfort zone as of yet.

Alcaraz consolidates to 30 and looks a red-hot favourite to face Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final from here. The Spaniard always looks like he has that extra gear, that extra string to his bow if he needs it. An injection of pace off that forehand does it here, catching Daniil by surprise and luring the error to close the game.

Medvedev hustles hard to fend off two break points and reach deuce where Alcaraz comes up trumps to conjure up a third BP with a brilliant block volley. The Spaniard raises his arm aloft to celebrate winning one of the points of the match and then makes it count with an arrow of a backhand up the line.

It’s a very scrappy game from Carlitos but he does enough to drag himself through it.

A second ace of the game swats away break point and he eventually comes through from deuce with a delightful serve and volley followed by an even better drop shot.