Sharapova captures French Open
June 7, 2014
Sharapova beat Halep 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the final in Paris on Saturday.
At 3 hours 2 minutes, it was just two minutes short of the 1996 final between Steffi Graf and Aranxta Sanchez.
"This is the toughest grand slam final I've ever played and all respect to Simona, I thought she played an unbelievable match today," Sharapova said.
After struggling with her serve all week at the tournament, Sharapova was able to keep Halep at bay. The 27-year-old wrapped up her victory on her first match point, when Halep was unable to return a strong forehand.
'Dream come true'
Sharapova, the seventh seed, won her first Roland Garros title in 2012 and was runner-up to Serena Williams last year.
"I can't believe that at 27 I have won the French Open more times than any other Grand slam," she said. "It's a dream come true really. This tournament means so much to me."
The fourth-seeded Halep was playing in her first final at a Grand Slam. A victory would have made her the first Romanian champion since Virginia Ruzici, who is now her manager, in 1978.
Saturday's win gave Sharapova her fifth Grand Slam title after Wimbledon 2004, the 2006 US Open, the 2008 Australian Open and her first French Open victory two years ago.
Sharapova is now the first Russian, male or female, to win the same Grand Slam twice.
The men's French Open final will be held on Sunday, when Rafael Nadal takes on Novak Djokovic.
dr/jlw (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)