Djokovic dominates Sinner to reach record 35th Grand Slam final at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic barely got out of second gear as he swept past a subdued Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, easing into a record 35th Grand Slam final with a whirlwind 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) victory on Friday.

Djokovic has turned Centre Court into his own personal fiefdom having not lost there in 10 years, and the Serbian is now one win away from a record-equalling eighth title at the grasscourt major to match the mark of Roger Federer.

The 21-year-old Sinner, who was aiming to become the youngest man to reach the Wimbledon final since 2007, was outclassed, falling flat on the big occasion and allowing Djokovic to turn the screw at key moments in the contest.

He let break points slip through his fingers, including two set points in the third, while Djokovic was clinical as usual, applying constant pressure on the Italian eighth seed's serve and pouncing on opportunities when they arose.

He wrapped up the match when Sinner dumped a backhand into the net, leaving the Serbian to accept the applause of the Centre Court crowd, who had vociferously backed his opponent throughout, teeing up a final against either top seed Carlos Alcaraz or Russian Daniil Medvedev who play later on Friday.

"In the semi-finals, it was always going to be a very close and very tense match," said Djokovic, who is 14 years older than Sinner.

"That was the case and the scoreline doesn't give the reality of what was happening on the court. It was super close.

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"Jannik has proven why he is one of the leaders of the next generation and one of the best players in the world.

"I tried not to look at age as a hindrance or a factor of the outcome. I guess 36 is the new 26."

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