Nadal sets up dream final against Federer

PARIS: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will face off once again for the French Open crown on Sunday with Grand Slam history beckoning for both men.

They each made it through with straight sets wins on Friday over opponents who were able to match them early on but wilted under the barrage of shots from the best two players in the world.

The Spanish defending champion Nadal fought off a spirited challenge from sixth seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the final without dropping a set.   

Earlier top seeded Federer edged past fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7) to make it through to the Roland Garros championship match for only the second time.    

He has dropped just one set on the way.   

Their rematch will be the dream showdown that had been widely predicted at the start of the tournament.

"It should be a great match," Nadal said. "Anytime you have the number one and number two in the world playing each other it is something special."

"He is playing well and has dropped just the one set in the tournament so I will have to be at my very best to be able to beat Roger. I will do all I can to achieve that."   

Speaking after his win over Davydenko, but before Nadal had won, Federer, who lost in four sets to the Spaniard here last year, admitted he would prefer Djokovic as an opponent.   

"Never lost against the guy and he has never played a Grand Slam final. So it would be stupid to say the other guy."

"But I know I'm in great shape, got a day off tomorrow so I can prepare perfectly for the upcoming match. I've got a game plan ready."    

Davydenko, playing in his second Roland Garros semi-final, was left to regret a catalogue of missed opportunities against Federer including wasting three set points in the third set.

He had an astonishing 11 break points in the first set, but was able to convert just one, Federer had two and profited from both.

By the end of his ninth defeat in nine meetings with the top seed, Davydenko was left with the demoralising statistic of having secured just three of a huge 17 break points in the three-hour tie.   

"I could have just as easily have lost in three sets," admitted Federer.

Nadal carried an unbeaten streak of 19 matches into his semi-final with Djokovic who at 20, a year younger than the Spaniard, was playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final.   

The Serb had his back to the wall early on struggling to stay with the Spaniard's heavy top spin, but a huge forehand down the line from the champion clinched the first break of serve in the fifth game. 

On the back of that, Nadal turned on the power moving to 5-2 ahead and serving for the set, but Djokovic produced a magnificent effort to break the Spaniard's serve twice in a row.   

He could not hold to his own serve at 5-5, however, Nadal's trademark forehand down the line again doing the damage at break point and the title-holder comfortably served out for the set in 66 minutes. 

Djokovic failed to convert three break points for a 2-0 lead in the second set and thereafter Nadal's imposing forehand dominated the exchanges.

"He deserved to win, physically he is the strongest and fittest in the world," Djokovic said.   

"The first two sets I was hanging in there but in the third I just dropped."   

A win for Federer in Sunday's final would make him just the sixth man in history to have won all four Grand Slam titles and the first since Andre Agassi here in 1999.

He would also be only the third player to win four Grand Slams in a row after Don Budge and Rod Laver and would stand halfway to the fabled calendar Grand Slam having won the Australian Open in January.   

A win for Nadal would give him a hat-trick of French Open titles at the age of just 21, the first player to do so since Bjorn Borg in 1980 and just the second in 93 years.