Nadal too strong for Federer in Paris, reaches 12th final

Rafa Nadal charged into his 12th French Open final on Friday, battering old foe Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 6-2 in a breathtaking display in Paris.

The Spaniard had never lost to Federer in their five previous French Open meetings, but had not beaten the Swiss in their last five matches overall, stretching back five years.

Something had to give, and it was Federer’s winning streak — with no little brutality.

Nadal was simply too strong and too consistent in the blustery conditions and booked a Sunday final against either world number one Novak Djokovic or fourth seed Dominic Thiem, who play later on Friday.