Maria Sharapova is back in the French Open final for the second straight year, and will be looking for the same result as 2012, when she defeated Italy's Sara Errani in straight sets.
Yesterday Sharapova engaged in a hotly contested match with one of her fiercest rivals, Victoria Azarenka, which required three sets for the Russian to emerge victorious. Sharapova looked dominant in the first set, on her way to an easy semifinal win, before Azarenka blew her out in the second set.
Sharapova won the third set 6-4 and made her way to the final completely battle-tested. In this trip to the final, however, Sharapova is staring down a much more difficult challenge than in 2012. She is 2-13 in her career against Serena Williams, and seems acutely aware of her history against her.
"Obviously whatever I did in the past hasn't worked," Sharapova said. "So I'll have to try to do something different and hopefully it will."
Williams has been a force of nature in the 2013 French Open, determined to win this event for the second time in her career. Williams, despite being one of the greatest players in women's tennis history, has only won the French Open one time, way back in 2002.
"I'm very happy to be back in the French Open final 11 years later," Williams said in French to the audience. "I'm still here 11 years later. It's so wonderful for me." Williams cuts an intimidating figure; she wiped out her semifinal opponent, Errani, 6-0, 6-1 in an astounding 46 minutes. Errani's craftiness was expected to pose a threat to Williams' brute power and give her fits, but the determined Serena would not be beaten.
"What she did today is unbelievable," Errani said. "She's very strong. She's an unbelievable player. She had great day."
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