By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Mike Hewitt Getty

(June 8, 2012)—By the end of the day, everything seemed to make perfect sense. The divergent paths of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, one breezing through the draw as if it were a stroll in the Jardin du Luxembourg, the other forced to consistently tap his reservoirs for a missing magic potion, will finally meet in a French Open final for the ages.

To say that each has a lot to play for would be a colossal understatement.  Nadal, one step away from his record-breaking seventh French Open title, and Djokovic, angling to become the first player in forty-three years to hold all four Grand Slams at one time, are each staring at a chance to forge a legacy that will become part of tennis lore for years to come.

Rafael Nadal did his part quickly and authoritatively today, taking apart David Ferrer in a match that was dramatic only for those who wondered if Nadal might actually be forced into a competition rather than a shellacking.

“He plays better than me all the time,” said a forthright Ferrer, who couldn’t use the momentum he gained from reaching his first French Open semifinal in 10 appearances to make an impression on Nadal. “I didn’t have any chance.”

Novak Djokovic did his part as well, ending Roger Federer’s French Open by defeating him for the sixth time in the pair’s last seven meetings.

Federer, 30, never seemed to hum in Paris. Instead he coughed, wheezed, and ultimately bumbled. The fact that he reached the semifinals displaying an uncharacteristically un-Federer-esque form, is a testament to his ability to find ways to win in spite of his form.

In the end, his defeat at the hands at Djokovic might have saved him from an altogether uglier form of losing—at the hands of Nadal the juggernaut in the final.

Nadal’s 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 drubbing of his compatriot was not unexpected. The Spaniard has played some of the most breathtaking tennis of his career in losing only 35 games in his first six matches. In 52 French Open matches in eight years, Nadal has lost a total of 13 sets and 1 match, and he’s gone through two tournaments—in 2008 and 2010—without losing a set.

His domination is par for the course, but Nadal, humble as he is, refuses any talk of perfection. For him the struggle is more about a quest for perfection, a steady, relentless push to be better than even the lofty standards he has set for himself.

“I don’t believe in perfection,” said Nadal. “I really don’t like to talk about perfection because in my opinion it doesn’t exist.”

Djokovic has been the more challenged of the two finalists throughout the fortnight. While Nadal has been running roughshod over one and all, the Serb appears to still be searching for that magical form that guided him through his breakout year in 2011. They say that that which does not kill you will only make you stronger, and the 25-year-old seemed to be living proof of that today as he put forth one of his stingiest efforts of the tournament to defeat Federer 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.

Djokovic’s 17 unforced errors were a tournament low for him, and his return game—the essential ingredient in his rise to the No. 1 ranking and world-beating status—seemed to kick into high gear as he won 42 of 86 points against the Federer serve.

Djokovic also managed 7 breaks against Federer, including 4 in a chaotic 2nd set that saw Federer build a double-break lead, then surrender the set in the twelfth game with the wind kicking up clay all around him.

It was that kind of day for the 16-time Grand Slam champion. There were moments of pure Federer magic, but the all-too-typical theme was that of Federer’s impatience. Apparently convinced that he needed to out-hit Djokovic to win, Federer’s well-intentioned drives often missed the mark badly.

His 46 unforced errors came in bunches, and Djokovic, intent on taking his place across the net from Nadal on Sunday, was quick to capitalize.

Having never lost a match against Federer after taking the first set, Djokovic’s two-set lead on Federer looked Grand Canyon-large.

As he finished off Federer, the Serb took a moment to let out a version of the blood-curdling scream that has become his signature. Back arched, elbows bent, eyes buggy. Then he spoke to the audience in French, hoping that his gesture of complicity would perhaps convince them to lend him some support for the monumental task at hand for him on Sunday.

He’ll need all the help he can get.