Rafael Nadal moved one win away from a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title after a dominant start enabled him to beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Seventh seed Berrettini eventually turned the match into a contest, but Nadal completed a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 win.
The 35-year-old Spaniard is level on 20 major titles with long-time rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Nadal will face Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final.
“The first two sets were some of the best I’ve played for a long time,” said Nadal, who won his only Melbourne title in 2009.
“I had to suffer and I had to fight but to be in the final again means a lot.”
