LONDON — Novak Djokovic cut down Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 yesterday to reach his first Wimbledon final and guarantee becoming world number one next week.
The Serbian second seed looked to be cruising to a straight-sets victory but Tsonga suddenly sprang to life in the third set, breaking Djokovic’s serve to force a tiebreak which the 12-seeded Frenchman won 11-9.
But Djokovic held his nerve to secure an early break in the fourth set and Tsonga, who fought back from two sets down to beat six-times champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, could not respond.
Djokovic, now certain to knock Rafa Nadal off the top of the rankings, will play top seed Nadal or Briton Andy Murray in the final tomorrow.