Russian 2nd seed Maria Sharapova has reached the French Open final after a battling performance against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the semi-final.
With some rash of double faults, Sharapova eventually emerged a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, winner and will be up against the winner of the second semi-final clash between Serena Williams and Sara Errani.
Thursday’s victory means the 26-year-old Russian has moved within one win of retaining her French Open title she won against Errani last year to complete her set of Grand Slam titles. She will be playing in her eighth major final on Sunday.
Sharapova began the opening set of the semi-final with a dreadful service game, handed over to love when the Belarusian double faulted, rounding off the set in less than half an hour with an ace after a remarkable transformation.
The ferocity and depth of the Russian’s service was too much that Azarenka couldn’t rescue, even at 0-40 in game two. 14 winners flew past her as Sharapova raced to a 6-1 first set victory.
Azarenka managed to get a foothold at the start of the second set, and a brilliant forehand winner off a high-bouncing Sharapova moonball set her up to break for 4-2.
The third seed Belarusian broke once again to level the match, but the rain that started falling held up play for half an hour before the start of the third set.
Sharapova pressed first in the third, and a cross court winner gave her the break at 2-1 but the double-faults that have plagued her in recent years surfaced again.
Her ninth, to none from Azarenka, gifted the advantage straight back in game four, and after blasting her way to a 5-2 lead, Sharapova faltered dramatically when serving for the match.
Azarenka must have thought she had heaped on the pressure with a quick hold to trail 5-4, but Sharapova’s serve then clicked and she sealed victory at the second attempt with ace number 12.
