Only Daniil Medvedev stands between Rafael Nadal and a 19th Grand Slam title after the Spaniard beat Italy's Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the 2019 U.S. Open on Friday.

Nadal had to save two set points in the opener, but after prevailing in the first-set tiebreak, he cruised to victory in two hours, 35 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Medvedev downed Grigor Dimitrov in similar fashion to reach his fourth final in succession:

The Russian is in supreme form, but he will have to produce the performance of a lifetime if he is to prevent Nadal from taking one step closer to Roger Federer in the record books.

The Swiss legend has 20 Grand Slams to his name, moving four titles clear of Nadal when he won the Australian Open back in 2018.

But Nadal is now close to matching his old rival, and he is well set to win his fourth U.S. Open title, having dropped just a single set in New York this year.

When Nadal, 33, steps on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, it will be the 27th time he has appeared in a Grand Slam final:

The 23-year-old Medvedev, meanwhile, will be in uncharted territory. Before the 2019 U.S. Open, the No. 5 seed had never got past the fourth round in a Grand Slam.

His form since this year's Wimbledon, though, has been remarkable. In July in London, Medvedev was knocked out in the third round by David Goffin. In the tournaments since, he has only been beaten in finals.

Nick Kyrgios prevailed at the Washington Open and Nadal bettered Medvedev at the Rogers Cup, but in the lead-up to the last Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows, the Russian won the Cincinnati Masters title.

He has played some masterful tennis at the U.S. Open as well, but Nadal is the strong favourite for Sunday's final.

As such, there will be little pressure on Medvedev, which should give him the freedom to perform to his best, and he has the game to trouble Nadal.

But there is a difference between troubling Nadal and beating him.

In Grand Slam finals, the Spaniard has only ever lost to Federer, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, and it would be a huge shock if Medvedev added himself to that list on Sunday.

Prediction: Nadal to win in four sets.