Serena Williams overcame the gritty challenge of unseeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-6(7) 6-4 on Friday to set up a French Open final showdown with Garbine Muguruza.
World number one Williams is now just one match away from a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title.
Williams, who won the first of her three Roland Garros crowns in 2002, survived a first-set scare for the second day running, saving two sets points before winning the tiebreak.
With the Philippe Chatrier showcourt still little more than half full as unseasonably cold kept thousands of ticket-holders away, the drama continued into the second set, when Williams was broken again to trail 2-0.
But she broke straight back and conceded just two further games to reach Saturday's final, where she will face Spanish fourth seed Garbine Muguruza hoping to equal Steffi Graf's grand slam singles record.
"The first set was not very easy but I think that today I played better. (Bertens) played very well," Williams said courtside.
Muguruza controlled a late bout of nerves to reach her second grand slam final, beating Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-4.
The fourth seed, runner-up at Wimbledon last year, became the first Spanish woman to reach the Roland Garros final since Conchita Martinez in 2000.
Muguruza, 22, made the most of 2010 runner-up Stosur's early jitters on Court Suzanne Lenglen and used her booming forehand to race into a 4-0 lead in the opening set.
She was also well ahead in the second set before Stosur finally made her sweat.
"I played very well until I led 5-2 in the second set and then she stepped up a gear and I became a bit nervous," Muguruza, looking to become the first Spaniard to lift the trophy since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1998, said courtside. "Emotions sometimes can be bad."
Muguruza, who was in the French Open semi-final for the first time, showed no nerves at the beginning on a chilly, misty day in the French capital.
She broke in the first game, staved off two break points in the second and then Stosur double-faulted to gift the Spaniard a second break and control of the match.
Muguruza bagged the first set with an unreturnable serve and was cruising to victory when she stole Stosur's serve in the first game of the second and held to lead 2-0.
Stosur, who lacked her usual accuracy and power in the heavy conditions, fell 5-2 behind, leaving Muguruza to serve for the match.
The Venezuela-born Muguruza was then broken to love and Stosur promptly held.
Muguruza trailed 15-30 in the 10th game, only to pluck out two aces to set up a match point, which she converted when the Australian sent a forehand wide.
Since losing her opening set of the tournament, Muguruza has won 12 sets in a row.
