By James Toney at Wimbledon

"Always like never before" is the omnipresent advertising slogan around Wimbledon. "Always like just before" might be more accurate.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic set up a box office repeat of last year's final with confident final four victories over Daniil Medvedev and Lorenzo Musetti, respectively.

Last year's was an instant classic, and hopefully this sequel is more Empire Strikes Back than Rocky II.

Alcaraz looked near his best as he stormed from a set down to win 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just under three hours.

Forget the "Oh, I say" of Dan Maskell's legendary tennis commentaries; in this form, you watch the Spaniard and just say, "Oh, no way."

His ability to mix thumping winners that make you wince with deft volleys that take your breath away is remarkable. He grunts from the baseline while his growing legion of fans just gasp in their seats. No lost cause is unpursued; every point is seemingly part of a personal quest to dominate the post-match highlights reel.

Once he got ahead against Medvedev, painting the lines with puffs of chalk, the result was only heading one way.

After a title defence that has been workmanlike, if not spectacular, these were his best three sets of tennis since arriving at the All England Club.

And with a "vamos," the vanquished Medvedev simply vanished.

It was the second consecutive year the Russian had lost to Alcaraz at this stage, though this was an improvement on the straight sets defeat of 12 months ago.

The relentless Medvedev can grind opponents into submission, but Alcaraz is equally obstinate and was happy to take rallies deep, patiently waiting for his rival to wilt.

After losing the first set, he didn't really put a foot wrong until he mentioned Sunday's Euros final to the Centre Court crowd and was roundly booed.

"It's always good to be in a Grand Slam final, and I feel my level and confidence are really high right now," said Alcaraz.

"I'm trying not to think about being the defending champion. I'm just trying to get better every day, but the feelings are very similar to last year.

"Everyone knows Novak. He has played multiple Grand Slam finals and has won a lot of them. Last year was a really difficult match, but I know how it feels to play against him.

"We've played a few times in Slams and big tournaments. I know what I have to do, but he also knows how to beat me. I'm ready to take the challenge again.

"I feel like I am not new anymore. I know how I feel before the final. I have been in this position before. I will try to do the things that I didn’t do last year and be better. I will also try the things that went well."

Alcaraz will be happy he got the chance to play himself into form ahead of the final. Medvedev was incredibly lucky to stay on the court after umpire Eva Asderaki gave him a first set code violation after taking the rare step of consulting with the tournament referee and supervisor.

"I said something in Russian, not unpleasant, but I got a code for it," said Medvedev.

"Carlos was too good for me. I've played all the top players, Roger, Rafa, Novak, but he's the toughest opponent I have faced. He can do it all."

Djokovic knows this too. After defeat in last year's final, he famously labelled the Spaniard the perfect fusion of the tennis big three.

Alcaraz is just 21 but could be a four-time Grand Slam winner by Sunday evening. In contrast, at that age, Nadal had won two, Djokovic one, and Federer none.

Musetti was playing his first Grand Slam semi-final and Djokovic his 47th, equalling Federer's record of 13 last four appearances here at the All England Club.

There was a gulf in experience but not necessarily in class, despite the straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 scoreline and the fact the Italian had never beaten a top-five player in four previous matches at Grand Slam level.

Alcaraz will certainly have the crowd on Sunday, though there were no boos - real or imagined - to exercise Djokovic yesterday.

Sport, of course, is not a popularity contest, and the occasionally thin-skinned Serbian has always preferred to be feared than feted.

"Wimbledon is my childhood dream," said Djokovic, who will play in his tenth Wimbledon final this Sunday, less than a month after knee surgery.

"I was seven years old in Serbia watching bombs fly over my head and dreaming of playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

"I don't take this granted and I'm very pleased to be in a final but I don't want to stop here, I want my hands back on that trophy.

"Carlos is a great example of a young player who has a really well balanced life on and off the court. He's got great charisma and great values. He is one of the greatest 21-year-olds we've ever seen in this sport.

"He's going to win many more Grand Slams but hopefully not this one. He beat me here in a thrilling five setter and I don't expect anything less than that again. He's as complete a player as you could be.

"Everyone wants the secret potion, the formula of success, that one thing that defines a champion. There is no such thing, I believe in smart work and I've turned my whole lifestyle into tennis."