Rafael Nadal Beats Juan Martin del Potro to Advance to U.S. Open Men's Final

Rafael Nadal will look to win his third U.S. Open title after he beat Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in Friday night's semifinal.  

It's the first time Nadal has reached a U.S. Open final since his most recent tournament victory in 2013.

Nadal will also be competing in his 23rd Grand Slam final, which is the second-most all time, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch noted his otherworldly winning percentage at major tournaments:

Following a competitive first set, the match was shaping up to be a dramatic back-and-forth affair. Nadal losing serve in the fifth game was all that separated them as the 2009 U.S. Open champion took a 1-0 set lead.

The U.S. Open shared a replay of an entertaining rally in the ninth game of the set:

Nadal, however, rampaged over the next three sets as he not only dominated serve but also hammered del Potro from the baseline.

Stamina also became an issue for del Potro the longer the match went on. He went five sets in the fourth round and needed to dig down deep to dispatch Roger Federer in four sets in the quarterfinals. By the time Nadal was in the driver's seat late in the third set and into the fourth Friday, del Potro looked physically spent.

ESPN's Brad Gilbert commented on how Nadal steadily tired his opponent out:

Nadal finished with 45 winners, 36 of which came in the final three sets. And after committing 10 unforced errors in the opening frame, he had 10 over the remainder of the match. Nadal also won 77 percent of his first-service points and 72 percent of his second-service points.

Del Potro got the better of Nadal in their previous two meetings, most recently at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Nadal was clearly the superior player Friday, though, and has been excellent over the U.S. Open as a whole, having dropped three sets in six rounds.

Most will expect him to take Sunday's final against Kevin Anderson. The two have faced off on four occasions, with Nadal winning every time and dropping only one set. 

Should Nadal prevail, he'll capture his 16th Grand Slam title, putting him three behind Roger Federer for the most in history.