Intro:

Defending champion Rafael Nadal will play Novak Djokovic in the final of the Italian Open on Sunday (18 May) after the top seed brushed aside Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-2 in the semi-finals on Saturday (17 May).

Script:

After Rafael Nadal's topsy-turby quarter-final on Friday night, the Spaniard would surely of been hoping for a smoother start to his semi-final with Grigor Dimitrov.

And Nadal found it, taking an early break and then another at 3-1 up,

The World No 1 looked to be showing no signs of fatigue from his match with Andy Murray and had the Bulgarian on the backfoot for much of the first set, taking it 6-2.

Dimitrov is made of sterner stuff these days, and he had his break point chance early in the second. Yet Nadal's forehand wasn't about to desert him.

Nadal found another double break and Dimitrov could do little more get a slice shot on Nadal's forehands, here the Spaniard taking a 5-1 lead.

The Spaniard needed just one more service game, with the World No 14 unable to keep it away from the lethal Nadal forehand.

Onto Sunday's final and a match up of the World's top two. Nadal will surely expect a sterner test than this.