French Open 2012: Rafael Nadal Advances to Finals with Straight-Set Win

While everyone around him seems to be fighting tooth and nail just to advance in the 2012 French Open, Rafael Nadal just keeps rolling.

The six-time French Open winner advanced to the finals of this year's event with a dominant straight-set win over David Ferrer on Friday. 

Nadal took it to Ferrer right out of the gate en route to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 victory. It was vintage Nadal on the clay at Roland Garros. 

Even though we have gotten so accustomed to seeing this kind of domination from Rafa at the French Open, there are still moments where you just sit in amazement, watching the things he is able to do. 

Ferrer, who is ranked No. 6  in the world and had only played one set above the minimum in this tournament prior to the semifinals, was out of his league. He looked like a player who was ready to challenge Nadal on this stage after defeating Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. 

For Nadal to just manhandle a player of Ferrer's ilk in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament speaks volumes about how locked in he is right now. Things like this are not supposed to happen in sports. 

Even Nadal sounded surprised at his performance, saying after the match that he thought it was his best performance at the French Open this year. Per The Telegraph:

"

I think you cannot expect to win a semifinal like this, I think it was my best match at RG this year and I am sorry to David as he deserved to be in the final.

"

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are going to play in the other semifinal for the right to play Nadal on Sunday, but right now, it doesn't seem to matter who you throw in Rafa's way. He looks poised to recapture that No. 1 ranking and continue to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the French Open is his playground. 

Considering the beating he just put on Ferrer, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would argue with that sentiment. 

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