Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the VTR Open in Chile, dismissing Jeremy Chardy in straight sets in their semi-final on Saturday.
In his return tournament from a seven-month layoff, Nadal has shown no signs of letting up - and the Spanish world number five dismissed the fourth-seeded Frenchman 6-2 6-2 in just over an hour.
Nadal served at a rock-solid 80 percent, and won 32 of 39 points behind his first ball in a domineering performance from the seven-time French Open winner.
The Frenchman also served well (79 percent), but only won 18 of 33 when he landed it on the first time of asking.
Chardy - an Australian Open quarter-finalist - was simply no match for the Mallorcan, who will go on to meet unseeded Argentine Horacio Zeballos in the Vina del Mar final.
Zeballos upset eighth-seeded compatriot Carlos Berlocq 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in just under two hours.
He won just eight points on the Berlocq serve in the opening set, but it was enough to get the decisive break.
The players broke each other twice in the second set, taking them to a tie-breaker which the 73rd-ranked Zeballos was able to clinch.
It will be Nadal's 72nd tour final, while it will be Zeballos' second - after he fell in a tight three-setter to Sergiy Stakhovsky in the St Petersburg final in 2009.
Nadal won their only previous meeting 6-2 6-2 6-3, at Roland Garros in 2010.
