After nearly a fortnight of tennis, the highly anticipated Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic match will in fact play out in the Final. After two quick semifinals were in the books, a battle for not only the French Open title but the world No. 1 ranking will unfold on Sunday.

Djokovic Grinds Down Gulbis

Ernests Gulbis had a memorable run at Roland Garros, and the Latvian certainly made a name for himself in more than one way. But it was too much Novak Djokovic on Friday as the Serb advanced to the final with a  6-3 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory.

It was a case in which Djokovic's arsenal eventually wore down Gulbis, who attempted to dig out of a two-set hole, but the obstacle was too much. Early in the match, it appeared to be a runaway as the precise Djokovic found a rhythm and struck shots throughout the court with surgical skill. Gulbis could not find an answer for the weapons of Djokovic, who took the first two sets with relative ease.

However, just as it appeared that the match would be a straightforward victory for Djokovic, he appeared to hit a wall. What looked to be a lapse of energy allowed Gulbis to seize the third set, overpowering the world no. 2. The Serb did not seem to be himself.

Entering the fourth set, it looked as though Djokovic was now in for a long afternoon on Court Philippe Chatrier with Gulbis finding confidence. At one point, a frustrated Djokovic thrashed his racket on the court in frustration.  However, the Serb summoned enough energy and momentum, gaining his second wind. He took his game up a notch, which seemed to act as a punch in the gut to the Latvian, who lost his momentum. Djokovic refused to let his opponent off the ropes and finished out the set routinely.

Djokovic, who apparently did not feel well, did not immediately address the media after the match. But he had a few words on the court afterwards. “It was very difficult for me to concentrate, and the conditions were tough,” he said. “I am happy to have got through to the final.” Later, Djokovic would not elaborate but implied that he would spend his day off re-energizing himself in preparation for Sunday.

Nadal Routs a Listless Murray

Questions have surrounded Rafael Nadal as to chinks in his dominant clay armor as he entered Paris. Struggling in tournaments he had historically dominated, was he primed to fall in the tournament that he has owned? On Friday, an energized Nadal had the look of the player who has been crowned as the greatest ever on clay. He defeated a sluggish Andy Murray 6-3 6-2 6-1 to advance to a showdown with Novak Djokovic.

Nadal cruised to a 6-3 result in the first set against the Scotsman, who came out clearly struggling to find his game. As precise as Nadal appeared in the set, Murray was on the other end of the spectrum. The set went to Nadal in 34 minutes.

The tide did not change for Murray in the second set, since he seemingly had nothing in his tank. With shots going awry off what appeared to be wobbly legs, he dropped the second set at 6-2 in just 31 minutes. In the third set, Murray at times appeared to be going through the motions while Nadal thrived, flexing his familiar clay dominance. The combination was a disheartening and disappointing effort for Murray, who fell easily in the third set.

It was a blend of Nadal's superiority on the clay surface coupled with an extremely poor match by Murray that led to a lopsided result in an hour and 35 minutes. It was a dispirited effort for the Scottish native in a match that had been anticipated as having the potential to be competitive.

Nadal was thrilled to have the opportunity to defend his title once more, “It’s unbelievable to be in [a ninth] final,” he said. “It’s very emotional for me. When I was a kid, to come here any day and play. Now, 10 years coming here. It’s something I’ll never forget in my life.”

Meanwhile, Murray summed up his day by simply replying, “It was a bad, bad day.” But the Scot gave credit to Nadal, saying “He played a great match. He missed hardly any balls. He served very well.”

Nadal and Djokovic will face each other for the 42nd time on Sunday. The Spaniard has won 22 of the previous 41 meetings, including a five-set semifinal thriller last year in Paris.