French Open 2018 Results: Friday Winners, Scores, Stats and Singles Draw Update

Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem will meet in the final of the 2018 French Open after both won their semi-finals in the men's bracket at Roland Garros on Friday.

Nadal overpowered Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Earlier, Thiem overcame Marco Cecchinato in a closer affair, winning 7-5, 7-6(10), 6-1.

The pair will now meet in the final on Sunday, June 10.

Nadal reeled off six games in a row to bridge the first and second sets. In the process, the top seed built a commanding 4-0 lead in the second.

ATP Media Info detailed how Nadal had already made quick work of the opening set:

Soon the Spaniard was in firm control of the second as he increased his lead to 5-0. There was a brief revival for Del Potro when Nadal wasted double set-point and the Argentine took his first game of the second.

It proved to a minor blip, though, as Nadal quickly recovered to wrap up the set.

Del Potro had ripped some nice forehand shots, but Nadal's backhand was withstanding any barrage. The latter's defenses remained strong at the start of the third as he broke the Del Potro serve without surrendering a single point in the process.

Earlier, Thiem managed to edge his way past a game Cecchinato. The 24-year-old needed to win seven games to claim the first before finding himself pushed to a tiebreak in the second.

Seventh seed Thiem eventually scraped through the tiebreak, gaining sufficient confidence to make easier work of the third set.

He won 6-1 to power through, with the Daily Mail's Mike Dickson taking note of one particular shot in the Austrian's repertoire:

The backhand was indeed a feared weapon for Thiem, with Tennis Magazine's Steve Tignor noting how it proved decisive during the crucial tiebreak:

Thiem has merited his place in the final, but it's tough to believe he will have enough to overcome Nadal. The king of clay has lived up the name again, producing some peerless performances in Roland-Garros.