Roland Garros Final: Battling Sharapova to face Serena in French Open final

The world's top two players will battle it out for the French Open
title on Saturday, but their route to the Roland Garros final could
not have been more different.


Relief was evident on the face of defending champion and world No. 2
Maria Sharapova who survived a third-set comeback from Victoria
Azarenka to nail down a hard-fought 6-1 2-6 6-4 victory.


Conversely, Serena Williams, the worldNo. 1, was so dominant against
Sara Errani that the Italian ironically celebrated the only game she
won in amatch that lasted just 46 minutes and ended 6-0 6-1.


Sharapova must now try and arrest herpoor record against the American,
having won just two of their 15 encounters. Saturday's meeting will
bethe first time since 1995 that the top two seeds have faced each
other in the final.
Read: Suzanne Lenglen: The first diva of tennis


Sharapova, from Russia, had been coasting in the first set but her
Belarusian opponent battled back to exert similar dominance over the
second.


But a delay for rain allowed Sharapovato regroup and when she returned
to Court Philippe Chatrier the 26-year-old fought off a late Azarenka
charge to book a second successive final.


"I really had to play to the end today and I am extremely happy to be
back in the final," Sharapova told reporters at a press conference.


"(The rain delay) gave me a little bit of time to think of what I did
well in the first set and try to get that back again for the third."


Azarenka agreed the short rain break had stalled her comeback and
played into her opponent's hands.

"I think the break kind of changed themomentum, for sure," she said.


"When we got back out I kind of didn't start the same way I was
playing in the second set.


"I was just trying to make things happen too quick and started missing
the ball. You know, it was a little bit unfortunate and inconsistent
in that particular moment."


There were no such twists and turns inthe other semifinal as Williams
punished Errani, the No. 5 seed, right from the first point to reach
only her second final in Paris.


Williams hit 40 winners while Errani could only manage two. The
Italian managed to claim just five points on Williams' serve.


"I told myself: 'Serena, just concentrate' and that's what I did,"
Williams, who beat sister Venus to winthe 2002 French Open, said in an
on-court interview.


"Against Maria, I will have to prepare slightly differently. She's a
great player. But it's magnificent to be back in the final after 11
years."
Errani, a losing finalist to Sharapova last year, was philosophical
after her sixth straight defeat to her American opponent.


"I enjoyed it," she told reporters. "It was a great court, great
weather. What she did today was unbelievable. She isso strong and is
an unbelievable player."


"It was a great day. I tried but that's sport. Sometimes you lose, but
you have to stay in there and try until the last point. I gave it my
all, but there was nothing I could do."