Federer Reaches Wimbledon Final

Roger Federer was in sparkling form as he beat world number one Novak Djokovic in four sets to reach the Wimbledon final.

Federer is looking to secure a seventh title at the All England Club this year and is now hot favourite to do so after clinching a deserved 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 success over Djokovic.

Defending champion Djokovic appeared to be finding his form as he levelled the match after dropping the opening set, but Federer moved up a gear to pull away and seal a record eighth final appearance at the tournament.

Federer drew first blood as he secured the solitary break of the first set to move ahead - the decisive moment coming in the sixth game after a cagey start from both players.

There had seemed to be little danger for Djokovic when he went 30-0 up but, when that became 30-30, Federer decided to chance his arm. He pounded a forehand to the corner which Djokovic netted for break point and, sensing a chance, he then fizzed a backhand that Djokovic could not return, slipping as he patted it into the net.

He then backed up the break with two routine holds, sending down three aces in the process as he wrapped the set up in 24 minutes.

After appearing somewhat inhibited during the opener, Djokovic burst into life at the start of the second and quickly gained the upper hand with a break in the second game.

Federer helped him rack up three break points with an uncharacteristic mishit forehand and the Serb took the second of them when his opponent meekly netted.

A booming serving game to love that saw Djokovic drive to the net and put Federer under pressure on more than one occasion pushed him out to 3-0.

The Swiss could do little to stem the tide, his only half-chance coming when he patted a second serve from Djokovic into the net at 0-15 in the seventh game.

Djokovic saw out the set in convincing fashion after that, the champion serving out to love to take it 6-3.

But, having fended off a break-point in his first service game of the third set, Djokovic then gifted Federer another opportunity with a double-fault when 30-30 at 2-3.

Djokovic survived when his opponent put a forehand wide following a quite superb rally of 23 strokes and would go on to hold, but only after a dramatic game that featured four deuces.

Next it was Federer's turn to offer up a break-point as he fired an off-forehand well wide, but he too recovered and then made a decisive move in the tenth game.

A sumptuous forehand winner from the Swiss put him 0-30 up and, after Djokovic put a regulation smash long to bring up two set points, Federer showed him how it was done as he took the second with a clinical overhead of his own.

With the momentum now very much on his side, Federer quickly made the breakthrough in the fourth after Djokovic fell 0-40 behind in his opening service game.

The Serb saved the first with a searing forehand up the line, but missed the target when going for a similar shot on the next point and quickly found himself 3-0 down as Federer confirmed the break with an emphatic hold.

At 1-4 down Djokovic showed his famed fighting spirit as he battled back from 0-40 to hold and keep himself in the match, but it proved to be merely a stay of execution.

There were a few signs of nerves from Federer as he served for the match at 5-3 with Djokovic pegging him back to 30-30, but two solid first-serves got the job done, his rival netting the second to confirm victory.