Rafter ended the match with a serve into the body that Escude returned wide.
BBC: Rafter secures Heineken hat-trick
The Australian broke Escude in the sixth game of the second set with a cross-court service return.
Denmark's Kristian Pless enjoyed a surprise 6-3 6-1 win over local hero Nicolas Escude in their quarter-final.
BBC: Kuerten edges out Safin
Rafter beat Escude at the net, despite some sharp passing by the Frenchman.
In other results in Milan, seventh seed Nicolas Escude was another upset victim - falling to Dominik Hrbaty 6-4 1-6 6-3.
BBC: Top seed Novak dumped out
Pless, who is 92nd in the ATP rankings, followed up his victory over defending champion Ivan Ljubicic by beating Escude in just 48 minutes.
It was a major setback for Escude as he is chasing a place in the French squad for next month's Davis Cup final against Russia.
Escude went into the final with just 90 minutes rest.
So it is logical to say that even lower-ranked players like Nicolas Escude and Fabrice Santoro will confidently expect good runs in Paris, especially with the home fans behind them.
BBC: The French revolution
应用推荐
模块上移
模块下移
不移动