Nadal made light work of Del Potro. (Source: Reuters)
Once again, it will be Rafael Nadal vs someone else in the final of the French Open. This time, he will be facing Dominic Thiem, who is playing his first Grand Slam final. Thiem had upset Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open this season. But, judging by what the 10-time French Open champion did to Juan Martin Del Potro in the final, Thiem stands very little chance of repeating the feat. Del Potro was no match for a ruthless Nadal as the Spaniard toyed with his opponent throughout his match and walked to a victory.
French Open Live Score: Rafa Nadal is eyeing his 11th title. (Source: Reuters)
A series of brutal forehands that send Del Potro running all around his side of the court and Nadal gets to match point. At the end of that rally Del Potro just gave a tired, battered smile to the sky before walking back to his spot. The next point comes easily enough and Nadal is the second man since Roger Federer at Wimbledon to have reached 11 finals in a single Grand Slam.
Nadal races to a 40-0 lead before a fault leads to Del Potro winning a point. But then Nadal holds anyhow. 5-1. De Potro then holds to love to make 5-2.
First game involved a Del Potro double-fault and two break points for Nadal. The latter then holds to love and Del Potro then goes on to hold, although that seems irrelelvant at this juncture.
Del Potro has done nothing more than delay the inevitable. He won the first point, but then loses the next three in a jiffy. Nadal then takes set point with an ace and moves closer to an 11th French Open final.
Nadal races to a 30-0 lead but Del Potro somehow fights back to make it deuce! He then holds and raises two tired hands to the air. The crowd cheers for him, but more out of sympathy than anything else.
Nadal is on song and Del Potro has nowhere to hide. The Spaniard is relentless and Del Potro doesn't have any answers.
Nadal with a forehand winner to make it 3-0. It's all one-way traffic at the moment. Prior to taht, Nadal raced to three break points like it was a stroll in a park. A clay park.
Del Potro nets a backhand and Nadal simply controls the game. The Argentine has no answer to him as he takes the first set 6-4.
Nadal absolutely controls the final round of play to move ahead. He then wins two break points to move within two points of clinching the first set lead.
Comfortable there for the Spaniard. Serves to Del Potro's back hand and then sends the return the other way leaving the Argentine stranded.
Del Potro races to a 30-0 lead, Nadal fights back. A drop shot makes it 30 all and Nadal goes on to hold. Del Potro has some treatment after that.
Del Potro holds with a couple of forehand winners. Nadal raced to a 30-0 lead but the Argentine makes it back somehow. Injury concerns remain, though.
Del Potro gets three break points, last of which was due to a Nadal double fault. But the Spaniard fights back and eventually brings it to deuce. He then wrong-foots Del Potro who then winces in pain. Nadal takes the second set, Del Potro limps back to his seat. Let's hope it isn't anything serious.
Juan Martin De Potro and Rafael Nadal are going through the motions on court as they prepare for the match. Huge cheer from the crowd as the announcer reads out his name after being done with his long list of record.
He beats Marco Cecchinato 7-5, 7-6 (12/10), 6-1.Cecchinato walks away with his head down to rapturous applause, it has been a brilliant show from the Italian. Thiem is only the second Austrian to reach a Grand Slam final.
Cecchinato takes it to 40-15 and it looked like he might just break Thiem but the Australian fights back to make it deuce and now holds the advantage.
Little resistance from Cecchinato so far and it looks like Thiem might be cruising to a win in this final set.
A drop shot by Cecchinato is returned by a back handed volley by Thiem and he now takes a 2-0 lead in the third set.
A forehand from Cecchinato flies long and Thiem sinks to his knees. He has won the set on his fifth attempt. He is now one more set win away from making it to a maiden Grand Slam final.
Cecchinato reaches a second set point but Thiem makes him bite the dust with a volley. Cecchitano overhits the return
Five gruelling rallies in which both players have been made to run to nearly all corners of the court. The recent one ends when Thiem slams a powerful forehand and seals the point.
Breaks are at a premium and Thiem takes the second set into tie-breaker.
Cecchinato holds, unlike what he did in the first set and he has earned a tie-break at the very least.
Thiem's service game on point and he now has a chance at breaking Cecchinato. The latter managed to win one rally but Thiem dominated throughout.
A gruelling rally ends when Thiem sends a forehand wide. The game goes to deuce but Cecchinato holds on to eke out a win.
Thiem races to a 40-0 lead in the first set and holds to 15. The second set also ends in the same scoreline.
An engrossing contest so far. Thiem looked like he would run away with it in the beginning but Cecchinato clawed his way back to 4-4. Thiem never looked back after that though, and takes the first set.
A longish rally that led to Thiem running Cecchinato ragged and eventually coming out with the break point. This has been an engrossing battle so far.
Well how about this. It looked like Thiem might run away with this at one point but they Cecchinato has clawed his way back. It is now Thiem who is under pressure.
Dominic Thiem begins with a break! Top stuff from him as Cecchinato is still adjusting. Thiem then gets a holf to go 2-0 up in the first set. Cecchinato with bounces back with a hold. 2-1 Thiem
The first semi-final of the day is one between Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato. Thiem will try and reach his first final in Paris. He had lost to Rafael Nadal last year.
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the men's singles semi-finals at the 2018 French Open. Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal will take on Juan Martin del Potro. The other semi-final will be between Marco Cecchinato and Dominic Thiem. Nadal is eyeing an 11th title at Roland Garros.