Looking back at the five Nadal vs. Federer French Open matches

On Friday, live on Tennis Channel, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will renew their rivalry in the French Open semifinals. Here's everything you need to know to get ready for this throwback throwdown:

**What's On The Line: 10 things at stake for Roger and Rafa

Federer fans: He's 5-0 in their last six matches

Nadal fans: He's 5-0 in their five meetings at Roland Garros

Preview: Steve Tignor breaks down the 39th career meeting**
Podcast: Debating Federer's chances against Nadal in Paris

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, two of the most accomplished and beloved players in tennis history, will renew their storied rivalry in a blockbuster semifinal clash at Roland Garros on Friday. Nadal has a 5-0 record against Federer on the terre battue, but if those five previous meetings are anything to go by—four of them were tough four-setters—then this one could be a battle, too.

Here’s a look back at all five:

Their first French Open meeting was also their first Grand Slam meeting. Federer was already a four-time major champion and the world No. 1; Nadal, who was celebrating his 19th birthday that day, was playing at Roland Garros for the first time.

But on this day, youth overcame experience. Nadal came into this encounter on a 22-match clay-court winning streak, and he was simply too solid from start to finish, committing just 32 unforced errors across four sets. Federer, meanwhile, had 62.

It looked like Federer would push the match to a fifth set as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the fourth, but Nadal won the last five games row under fading light to reach his first Grand Slam final.

“Winning a semifinal is already incredible,” Nadal said, “and beating Federer is more amazing.”

The Spaniard would go on to beat Argentina’s Mariano Puerta in another tough four-setter for the title.

Federer came into this contest 7-0 in Grand Slam finals, and after cruising in the first set, it looked like he might finally win his first French Open title—which would be his fourth major in a row and complete a career Grand Slam. But the match turned from the start of the second set, and other than a late slip—Nadal was broken serving for the match at 5-4 in the fourth—the end result seemed inevitable.

It was Nadal’s sixth win in seven career meetings with Federer.

For the second straight year, Nadal and Federer met in the final, and for the second straight year it was a tight four-setter, and a match of missed opportunities for Federer. The Swiss converted just one of 17 break points in the match and hit 59 unforced errors; Nadal kept his error total down to 27.

“You can put it any way you want—all I know, at the end of the day, is that I’m disappointed today,” Federer said afterwards. “I couldn’t care less how I played the last 10 months or the last 10 years. At the end of the day, I wanted to win that match, and I couldn’t do it. It’s a shame, but life goes on.”

“I am very happy, but I am really sad for Roger,” said Nadal, always the sportsman.

“He is a friend, and I know he is a great champion, whether he wins or loses.”

In what is still the most lopsided result of their rivalry, and by far the most dominant of his five wins over Federer at Roland Garros, Nadal lost just four games in three sets to dominate the 2008 final.

After Nadal built a 6-1, 2-0 lead, there was a moment of hope for Federer—he broke back and drew even in the second set at 3-all. But that would be his last stand as Nadal reeled off the next nine games in a row for a runaway victory, eventually closing it out after just an hour and 48 minutes on court.

“I would’ve hoped to get more than four games today,” Federer said. “But Rafa is very, very strong this year. He dominated this tournament like perhaps never before. He deserves this title.”

To this day, the 2008 final is the most lopsided French Open men’s final in more than 40 years.

Fresh off handing Novak Djokovic his first loss in 44 matches in the semifinals, Federer went into the 2011 French Open final full of confidence. He came out firing, racing out to a 5-2 lead and earning a set point. That's when Nadal struck back, winning the next seven games to sneak out the first set and eventually build a two-set lead.

Federer wasn’t done, fighting back from a break down to capture the third set and staying on serve with Nadal early in the fourth. But there was one last momentum shift, as Nadal broke for 3-1 and ran away with the fourth set.

Still, the three-hour, 40-minute battle was a stark contrast to their last meeting in the 2008 final.

“What a hard tournament this is to win,” Nadal said after improving to 5-0 against Federer at Roland Garros. “And what a special day it was. I want to congratulate Roger. I think we had a good match.”