Tennis: Ruthless Nadal tames Federer to reach French Open final

PARIS - Rafael Nadal has celebrated his 19th birthday in style by taming world number one Roger Federer 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3 to reach the French Open final.

The Spanish prodigy, trying to become the first man to win Roland Garros on debut since Sweden's Mats Wilander in 1982, won a superb battle to set up a title showdown with Argentina's Mariano Puerta.

Top seed Federer, who was hoping to capture the only grand slam crown to have eluded him, bowed out by hitting a forehand long on the first match point after two hours and 47 minutes.

A gracious Federer took his hat off to Nadal after losing to the 19-year-old.

"He deserved his victory... he was the better player tonight," the Swiss world number one said after his 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3 defeat.

"Never take anything away from somebody who beat me, because I was trying my best."

The match finished in twilight after rain had delayed the start of the day's play and Mariano Puerta took five long sets to beat Nikolay Davydenko in the first semi-final.

Federer said he had wanted to call off play as night fell and finish the match on Saturday.

"I could hardly see the ball in the end," he said. "I am disappointed we continued.

"I don't want to say it was a coin toss or anything in the end, you know. I played poorly to finish off the match... he was just consistent and solid.

"I wished we could have continued tomorrow. But I guess it's too late now."

He said he had never really got going in the match.

"Simple version for me is it started bad and finished bad," he smiled. "Was good in the middle and that was not good enough. That's like the short and simple version.

Fourth seed Nadal extended his winning streak on clay to 23 matches and will be the overwhelming favourite to take the title when he faces Puerta in Sunday's final.

The unseeded Puerta advanced by wearing down Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 5-7 2-6 6-4 6-4 earlier on a stormy day.

Looking slightly nervous and struggling with his serve, Federer was broken in the opening game of the first set and again in the fifth.

The two players then traded breaks and Nadal, leading 5-2, served for the set, only to be broken.

The Spaniard reacted straight away and broke Federer in the following game to take that first set in 43 minutes with the 23-year-old Swiss netting a forehand.

The momentum swung Federer's way in the second set as the Swiss built a 5-1 lead before being broken while serving for the set, which he eventually took with Nadal netting a backhand.

The tense fight continued in the third set until Nadal broke Federer in the sixth game with a sharp volley.

Federer underlined his mental strength by breaking back immediately but Nadal, determined not to give anything away, captured his opponent's serve again in the 10th game, taking the set with another forehand winner.

Nadal came back from an early break in the fourth set and took control of the match, meeting each of his winners with his trademark fist-pumps and yells.

A raging volley gave the burly left-hander with the devastating forehand two match points.

He only needed one, prevailing just before darkness fell.

Earlier unseeded Argentine Mariano Puerta beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 5-7 2-6 6-4 6-4.

Both players were playing in their first grand slam semi-final and it turned out to be war of attrition between two of the game's most consistent claycourt grinders.

Puerta muscled his way to the first set but Davydenko, who turned 24 on Thursday, seized the initiative when he came back to take the next two with pinpoint hitting.

The Argentine hung on grimly in the fourth to set up a decider and then recovered from 4-2 down in the fifth before clinching victory with a thunderous forehand after three hours 29 minutes.

- REUTERS