Sporting Life - Wimbledon 2008

Rafael Nadal will face defending champion Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final for the third year in a row.

The world's top two players each won their semi-finals in straight sets, with Federer seeing off Marat Safin 6-3 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 and Nadal defeating Rainer Schuettler 6-1 7-6 (7/3) 6-4.

Nadal, the four-time French Open champion, has dropped only one set on his way to the final and gave another demonstration of his awesome hitting power to outgun the unseeded Schuettler.

Schuettler had come through a gruelling five-set quarter-final against Arnaud Clement - at five hours and 12 minutes the longest singles match of the fortnight - and he looked leggy as Nadal quickly assumed control of the match.

The 32-year-old German briefly rallied in the second set and led 4-2 after a break of serve, but Nadal hit back in emphatic fashion and stole the set on a tie-break.

The third set brought more big hitting from the Spaniard, who looked untroubled as he booked his place in the final, without reaching the standard of his victory over Andy Murray.

He said afterwards: "I'm very happy to be in the final another time, Wimbledon is a very good tournament for me. I will try to play my best tennis on Sunday.

Best

"Today maybe wasn't my best match here this year but I won in three sets which is very important for me. I'm in the final with very good confidence.

"I know the best player in the world is on the other side of the net in Roger. I feel I have to play very well to have a chance to win.

"Anything can happen, I know he is playing well but I am playing well too."

Nadal won eight of the first nine points of the match to race into a 2-0 lead before dominating a second service game from Schuettler to secure the double-break.

The unseeded German, who had planned to play in a Challenger event in Spain this week before his shock run to the last four, had no answer to his opponent's power from the baseline, although he finally got on the board by holding serve in the fifth game.

He won a total of just 10 points in the opening set - only two of them against the Nadal serve - as a third break from the world number two wrapped up the set in just 22 minutes.

Fight

Schuettler showed real fight in the second set to the extent that Nadal dropped his serve for only the fourth time in the championship.

The 2003 Australian Open runner-up won three successive games to lead 3-1 and a further service hold gave him a 4-2 advantage.

However, when Schuettler served for the set at 5-4 Nadal made his move, forcing two break points and converting when Schuettler sent a forehand long.

A love service game from the German then took the set into a tie-break, but Nadal dominated it to win 7-3 and open a two-set lead.

With the match slipping further from his reach, Schuettler could ill afford any mistakes early in the second set, but he presented Nadal with a chance to break in the third game before lashing a forehand well wide.

Nadal was not dominating in the same manner as the first set and at 5-3 he missed three consecutive match points against the Schuettler serve.

However, he would not be denied and he breezed through his next service game to win in two hours and reach a seventh Grand Slam final.