Maria Sharapova wins French Open Title
Oladunjoye Opeyemi
Russia’a Maria Sharapova won her second French Open on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory against Simona Halep of Romania.
Halep, 22, was playing in her first Grand Slam final after rising from No. 57 to No. 4 in the rankings and winning seven WTA titles since last year’s French Open.
The 2012 champion here and the runner-up last year, Sharapova, 27, after the French Open last year, lost in the second round at Wimbledon, missed most of the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, went through two coaching changes, and slipped from fourth to eighth in the rankings.
Sharapova, however, came to life during the clay-court season, going 19-1 and winning three titles. This is her fifth career Grand Slam championship, but the first time she has won a major twice.