Rafael Nadal adds to his rich French Open history.

Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, on a cool and windy Friday to reach his 12th French Open final.

It was the longtime rivals’ 39th career meeting, but their first at Roland Garros since 2011. Federer had won their last five matches, but still has never beaten Nadal at the French Open in six tries.

It’s no wonder: Nadal, 33, is an 11-time French Open champion and the greatest clay-court player in history. Federer, 37, is not too shabby on the dirt either, as he showed by reaching the semifinals despite not playing at Roland Garros in four years.

[Read Christopher Clarey’s column about the new element in the Federer-Nadal rivalry: wind.]

He pulled out of the 2016 French Open before it started because of an injury and skipped the clay-court season entirely the past three years to preserve his body and prepare for his favorite surface: grass.