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29 March 2024

Sharapova floors Halep to win second French Open title

Published
By Correspondent and Agencies

Maria Sharapova claimed her second French Open title when she floored Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4 after a marathon encounter in Saturday's final.

The seventh seed from Russia claimed her fifth Grand Slam title after Wimbledon 2004, the 2006 US Open, the 2008 Australian Open and her first Roland Garros title two years ago.

Halep, who had not lost a set entering the final, put up a great fight but bowed out after three hours and two minutes - the longest women's final in Paris since 1996.

Sharapova wrapped it up on her first match point when Halep could not return one of her opponent's sizzling forehands.

"This is the toughest Grand Slam final I have ever played. I respect Simona a lot, I thought she played an unbelievable match today," Sharapova said with smudged mascara under her eyes.

"I can't believe it, seven or eight years ago I would not have thought that I would win more Roland Garros than any other Grand Slam.

"To think I won it twice... I'm so emotional now I can't talk."

The wily Romanian had forced a decider just as Sharapova seemed to have ended her resistance.

The Russian, however, had won the last 19 three-set matches she had played on clay since losing to Justine Henin in the third round at Roland Garros in 2010 and made it 20 with a characteristically gutsy display.

Halep, hoping to become the second Romanian woman to win a Grand Slam title after her manager Virginia Ruzici won at Roland Garros in 1978, broke in the first game of the match when Sharapova sent a backhand long despite having an open court at her disposal.

Sharapova unsettled Halep with her crosscourt shots but the Romanian held on for 2-0.

The Russian bombarded Halep with powerful forehands and managed to break back for 2-2 on her fourth chance when Halep's crosscourt backhand went wide.

Sharapova's third double fault gave Halep another break point, which the Russian saved with another forehand winner down the line before holding for 3-2 after four deuces.

The Russian broke for 4-2, went to 5-2 and then lost two games before taking the set on her opponent's serve when Halep fired a crosscourt forehand wide.

Sharapova won the first game of the second set to love and broke in the second with the contest seemingly heading for a swift conclusion.

Halep would not give up, however, and broke back by forcing Sharapova to net a backhand as the crowd roared "Simona, Simona".

They exchanged four breaks in a row as the set went into a tiebreak and the clock ticked past the two-hour mark. Halep went 5-3 down but then scored four points in a row to send the match into a deciding set.

Sharapova saw off two break points in a hotly contested fourth game and went on to break Halep's serve screaming "Davai!" (come on), only to double fault yet again as the Romanian levelled for 4-4.

In a third set where the serve counted for little, Sharapova broke to love to move one service game from the title and fell to her knees in celebration as Halep sent a looping backhand wide.

"It's my first Grand Slam page, emotionally it's difficult," said Halep, last year's most improved player.

"I hope there will be many more but this one will be special for me all my life. Congrats Maria you're a great champion."

THIRD SET : SHARAPOVA 6 HALEP 4


Triple match and championship points and Sharapova wins it without any fuss. Halep 4 Sharapova 6.

BREAK!
Tennis at its best as Sharapova dominates to earn a triple breakpoint. No problem for Sharapova as a powerful backhand winner seals it for her. Halep 4 Sharapova 5

BREAK!
Halep surges to a 15-30 lead as the Romanian is aware how important this gabefore me is to her. But Sharapova gets a stunning ace to level the score but Halep holds her nerve to get a breakpoint. A double fault from Sharapova meant Halep levels scores. Halep 4 Sharapova 4

Halep did struggle including her serve that saw a double fault but held on to her game to win the game. Halep 3 Sharapova 4 

Sharapova at her best. Stunning forehand shots and Halep seems to be struggling as the Russian races to 40-0. Another forehand winner and Sharapova runs into a comfortable lead.  Halep 2 Sharapova 4 

BREAK!
Triple breakpoints for Sharapova, Halep looked to be loosing her grip on her serve. But she ups her tempo to save two of them before Sharapova breaks in to win the third breakpoint. Halep 2 Sharapova 3 

Both indulge in some power hitting. Sharapova backs it up with some good serves including an ace to lead 40-30 before Halep takes it to deuce. After a long battle  that ran into five deuces Sharapova managed to hold on to her serve. Halep 2 Sharapova 2.

It's been a match of breaks as Sharapova produces some stunning tennis to lead 0-30. Halep serves well followed by some impressive forehand winners to take the next four points to hold her serve. Halep 2 Sharapova 1.

BREAK!
Halep responds with equal intensity as she earns a double break point. Halep takes it with Sharapova getting it completey wrong near the net. Halep 1 Sharapova 1.

BREAK!
Sharapova returns after a long break to change. She comes back stronger to post a double breakpoint. She wins the first point to force an early break. Halep 0 Sharapova 1.

SECOND SET: SHARAPOVA 6 HALEP 7

Halep holds her nerve to win the tie-breaker. Sharapova led a couple of times but Halep fought hard to win the tie-breaker 7-5 to take it to the decider. Sharapova 6 Halep 7.

It's tie-break for the second set.

BREAK!
Superb shots from Sharapova as she seals the game with four straight points. Halep has no answer as she concedes the break. Sharapova 6 Halep 6.

BREAK!
Another break after Halep as she races to a triple breakpoint advantage. Sharapova serves strongly to save two of them but an unforced error gives Halep the break. Sharapova 5 Halep 6.

BREAK!
It's again a strong battle as Sharapova leads 0-30 to not let the set slip from her. She earns a double break point before the Russian is lucky to win it after her shot hit the net and dropped good enough to win her the break. Sharapova 5 Halep 5.

BREAK!
The crowd erupts admiring both the players as they fight hard for each point. Halep is goes for a break with the game entering deuce and she wins the break in style. Sharapova 4 Halep 5.

Sharapova wins a breakpoint but Halep is quick to overcome it. She continues to counter Sharapova's strong response as she manages to hold on to her serve. Sharapova 4 Halep 4.

The serves looking stronger from both of them as Sharapova also holds her serve comfortably. Sharapova 4 Halep 3.

Easy game for Halep as she wins her serve to level the games. Sharapova 3 Halep 3

Halep was leading 0-30 before Sharapova fought back to win three straight points to go 40-30. A double fault ensured the game entered deuce. Two good rallies won by Sharapova meant she held her serve. Sharapova 3 Halep 2

Halep holds her serve with a fine display of forehand shots. She matches Sharapova's prowess with equal grit. Sharapova 2 Halep 2

BREAK!
Halep understands the situation and steps up her game to go 0-30, then 15-40 to earn two breakpoints. Halep takes the first point to remain fighting in the set. Sharapova 2 Halep 1

BREAK! Sharapova is looking extremely confident executing her shots to the far end of the baseline. Halep looks to be struggling at times as the Russian takes the game to deuce and then wins at the crucial time to force another break. Sharapova 2 Halep 0.

Sharapova makes a dominating start to the second set to win her service game with ease. Sharapova 1 Halep 0.

FIRST SET: SHARAPOVA 6 HALEP 4

BREAK!
Sharapova fought hard to wrap the set in this game and even managed a break point before Halep defended it to enter deuce. Sharapova won the next two crucial points to take the game and set. Sharapova 6 Halep 4

BREAK!
Halep is not giving it up easily as she fights her way to win a double break point advantage. Sharapova manages to wipe one but loses the second to handover the break. Sharapova 5 Halep 4.

Halep fighting back hard to win her game without dropping a point. Sharapova serving for the set. Sharapova 5 Halep 3.

That looked like the fastest game to finish so far in the first set. Sharapova wins it easily for a strong lead. Sharapova 5 Halep 2.

Sharapova looked to be dominating as she earns double breakpoints and takes the first one to win the break. Sharapova 4 Halep 2.

At 40-30 Sharapova gets an unforced error and the game again travels to deuce. Another round of intense fight as Sharapova manages to hold her serve. It's been long games for both so far. Sharapova 3 Halep 2

BREAK!
Halep starts of with an ace but a double fault immediately takes the score to 15-all. Sharapova then unleashes some great hitting to earn a breakpoint which Halep erases with ease. Intense battle followed before the Russian got the break. Sharapova 2 Halep 2

Some great rallies to watch from the two as Sharapova just manages to hold her serve. Sharapova 1 Halep 2

Another stiff battle as the game is pushed to deuce. Sharapova looks to be generating great power in her forehand shots but Halep manages to counter it to take the game. Sharapova 0 Halep 2

BREAK!
Halep makes early dent into Sharapova's serve as she breaks the first game to lead 1-0. After taking it to deuce she wins the next two points to seal the game. Sharapova 0 Halep 1

Both Sharapova and Halep arrive at the centre court. Shortly they should begin their warm-ups.

PREVIEW

One has nothing to lose, the other is expected to win on Saturday.

Even though Romania's Simona Halep is the higher seed, at four, Maria Sharapova is the household name, the face on the billboards and is playing in her third successive French Open final.

Halep has not dropped a set on the way to challenging for the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, and the 1,650,000 euro ($2.25 million) cheque, having never gone further than the quarter-finals of a grand slam before.

"I have nothing to lose. I will keep this in my mind always. I will try to hit very relaxed," the 22-year-old told reporters after beating Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the semis.

"I know that it will be very tough to manage the emotions, but I will try my best at that moment."

Sharapova has four grand slam titles, including the 2012 French crown, and has been number one in the world, yet she missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury and has been pushed to three sets in each of her last three matches in Paris.

"I'm very proud, because I worked hard to get myself injury free, and I had to work through some tough losses in the beginning of the season that I didn't want to accept," the 27-year-old told reporters after beating up-and coming-Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the last four.

"I worked through them, I worked hard, and I'm in this position giving myself a chance."

Of course, saying she has a chance is just modesty.

Having shaken off her own description of herself as a "cow on ice" unable to master the balance and timing needed to slide for points on the red dirt, the Russian has an 18-1 win-loss record on the surface this year.

She has long shown her fighting spirit ahead of what may be a battle of guts against guile with Halep. The last time she lost in three sets on the slow surface was in the third round of the French Open in 2010 against Justine Henin.

She is 3-0 up in the head-to-head over the Romanian, including recovering from a woeful start last month to overwhelm rising talent Halep 1-6 6-2 6-3 in the Madrid Open final and claim her 31st career title.

But Halep, who will rise to number three in the world when the new rankings are released on Monday, has proven over the rounds in Paris that she can adapt to the challenges with an array of shots, not just her prowling baseline style.

She has already spoken about having several match plans to get this far. She may well need them if she is to emulate her adviser and compatriot Virginia Ruzici who won the title in 1978.

"I don't know how I have to play to beat Maria," Halep said. "But I have to take that revenge. I will fight for this one."