Nadal beat Melzer to reach French Open final

Paris: Four-time champion Rafael Nadal has earned another berth in the French Open final, beating Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Nadal's victory on Friday sets up a tantalizing rematch in the final against Robin Soderling, who pulled off a stunner when they met in the fourth round last year. The upset remains Nadal's lone loss in 38 French Open matches.

Melzer, a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist, was overmatched from the baseline against Nadal. There were few long rallies, and Nadal won almost all of them, forcing Melzer to play high-risk tennis.

Nadal celebrated the victory with a running leap as the crowd roared. He can become the second man to win at least five French Open titles. Bjorn Borg won six.