World number one Roger Federer [Images] reached his third consecutive French Open final when he beat France's [Images] Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday.

The Swiss top seed will meet three-times champion Rafael Nadal [Images] on Sunday in a bid to claim the only grand slam title missing from his collection.

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Federer, who lost to the Spaniard in the last two finals, looked set for an easy win after taking the opening set in 31 minutes but Monfils, bidding to become the first Frenchman to win Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983, picked up his game and levelled the contest.

Twelve-times grand slam winner Federer started to attack the net and prevailed after three hours five minutes on his third match point with a backhand volley.

"He had a bad first game and I had a very good first set but then he stepped up into the court. It was very tight and I'm relieved," Federer said in a courtside interview.

Asked how he would play his third straight Roland Garros final against Nadal on Sunday, he said: "We've played two great matches in Monte Carlo and Hamburg so it's a pleasure to play against him again.

"He has been playing awesome since the beginning of the tournament, unfortunately for us," added Federer, who lost the Monte Carlo and Hamburg finals against the Spaniard.

Federer blitzed through the first set and thought he had made clear that the unseeded Monfils, the world number 59, would not become the first Frenchman to reach the Roland Garros final since Henri Leconte in 1988.

The Parisian did not get the message, however. He took the second set to level the contest and forced Federer to go for plan B.

The 12-times grand slam winner attacked the net, shoving Monfils back behind his baseline before prevailing after three hours five minutes.

Federer had started brightly, breaking to love in the first game and following up on his serve with a humiliating drop shot.

At the change of ends, Monfils called on the trainer to fix a contact lens problem on his left eye but it did not help him much.

Just as the clock ticked past the half hour, Federer took the opening set, taking advantage of Monfils's passivity.

After falling a break down in the second set, the Frenchman moved forward to attack his opponent, who in a fit of clumsiness was spraying his forehand all over the place.

In the 12th game, the Swiss went 40-15 on his serve but the Parisian fought back to earn a set point. The world number one saved it at the net but was helpless on the second, sending another forehand long.

However, the five-times Wimbledon champion took his chances at the net to steal Monfils's serve in the third and fifth games.

As Federer was serving for the set, the Frenchman pulled a break back with a stunning backhand winner but the Swiss won the following game to take a 2-1 lead.

He had to shrug off break points in the third, fifth and seventh games of the fourth set before earning himself two match points on Monfils's serve.

Federer blew them both as Centre Court turned into a football stadium cheering for Monfils.

It was third time lucky for the Swiss, who took victory with a backhand volley, leaving a frustrated French crowd still waiting for their first Roland Garros champion since Yannick Noah's triumph in 1983.

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