Nadal has faced little adversity at the tournament so far, dropping just two sets in his five matches and blowing out 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev in straight sets to reach the semi.
Twenty fourth-seeded Del Potro has had a rockier road, having had to fight off two match points and battle back from two sets down to defeat sixth-seeded Dominic Thiem in the fourth round in an instant classic before defeating third seed Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.
Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson was spotted on a practise court stretching his 6-feet 8-inches (2.03 metres) frame as he prepares to meet the other Spaniard in the semi-finals, Pablo Carreno Busta.
Anderson brings a 2-0 head-to-head record against the number 12 seed, who has quietly moved through the draw without dropping a set in five matches.
Earlier in the day, Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romania's Horia Tecau won the men's doubles title after beating Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-4 6-3.
The number 12 seeds hit 41 winners between them and made just seven unforced errors as they romped to the title in just under an hour and a half.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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