Rafael Nadal produced one of the greatest performances of his career to blow away Roger Federer and reach the final of the French Open.
The Spaniard had dropped just one set on his way to the semi-finals but saved the best until last, storming to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Philippe-Chatrier.
Federer, making his first appearance at the tournament in four years, had performed admirably but was utterly helpless as Nadal wowed the crowd with some breathtaking shots.
The first set was typically competitive with the first six games totalling 38 minutes, as Federer and Nadal exchanged long rallies and sumptous groundstrokes.
But the Spaniard broke early on to take a 3-0 lead and, despite Federer's best efforts, he never fully recovered as the Spaniard edged it 6-3.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion knows how to keep his cool in matches of this magnitude and it didn't take long for him to gain revenge on Nadal, securing an early break.
That only seemed to make Nadal even more determined and from there, the 33-year-old moved into a level of his own.
The windy conditions were proving a tough test and yet it never affected the quality of play, with Nadal in particular pulling off a stunning range of backhand winners down the line and across court.
The 33-year-old secured a double break in the final set and never wavered from his own service game, clinching the final set 6-2 to confirm his place in the final for a 12th time.
