PARIS: Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final after ending Novak Djokovic’s latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the last four on Friday.
The world number one held off a battling Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his first Roland Garros final.
“It was such a special occasion for me playing against Novak in the semifinal,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion, who is now on a 20-match winning streak in majors.
“I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I’m very happy.”
Djokovic battled hard in a dramatic contest that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, but three missed set points late in the third set ultimately put paid to his hopes of a comeback.
Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, will be hoping to gain revenge on Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in five sets in the semifinals last year.
The Italian will be playing in a maiden Slam final not on hard courts after edging 5-4 ahead in his head-to-head record with Djokovic with his fourth successive victory over the 38-year-old.
Djokovic’s exit ensures that a sixth successive major title will be lifted by either Sinner or world number two Alcaraz, in what appears increasingly likely to be a permanent changing of the guard.
It will be the first Grand Slam final to be played between two men born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including in the Italian Open final in May when Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban.
“Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn’t look great against Carlos but let’s see what I can do,” said the 23-year-old.
Djokovic was bidding to become the first man to win a Slam with victories over all of the world’s top three players after beating Alexander Zverev in the quarters.
Instead, he will turn his attentions to his seventh attempt to break out of a tie with Margaret Court on 24 major titles at Wimbledon next month.
The top seed broke in the fifth game as Djokovic followed a netted backhand with an air-shot as a Sinner return skipped off the clay.
Sinner wrapped up an ultimately comfortable opening set with a hold to love, finished off by a backhand winner.
Djokovic was the better player at the start of the second set, but could not find a way through against an opponent who had not dropped serve since his opening-round win over France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
The Djokovic errors started to rack up in crucial points, although the three-time champion dug deep and broke Sinner when he was serving for a two-set lead.
Djokovic could not back up his break, though, despite leading 40-15 in the next game, and then received treatment from the trainer on his right leg.
Sinner closed out the set at the second time of asking courtesy of another battling hold that featured two aces, one from a second serve.
Djokovic called for the physio for lengthier treatment ahead of the third set.
He missed a break point in the fourth game, but refused to give in and eventually edged 5-4 in front on serve to put some pressure on Sinner.
A cacophony of noise greeted a brilliant rally that saw Djokovic bring up two set points.
Sinner fended them both off, and then a third, before Djokovic became incensed by a line call that didn’t go his way as the set headed toward a tie-break.
The end appeared nigh when Djokovic dumped the simplest of overheads into the net to gift Sinner a 3-0 edge in the breaker.
Sinner, who like Alcaraz has never lost a Grand Slam final, completed the job on his second match point as Djokovic netted.