By Martyn Herman
Serena Williams accepted an alluring force already added as she powered accomplished Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-4 to win the French Open for the additional time on Saturday – 11 years afterwards her aboriginal triumph.
Defending best Sharapova threw aggregate she had at the 31-year-old Williams but came up abbreviate as the American became the oldest woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup aback tennis angry able in 1968.
Williams, who continued her accepted acceptable band to 31 matches, took her booty of admirable bang singles titles to 16 from the 20 finals she has contested.
“It was actual difficult,” Williams said. “After 11 years it’s incredible. Thank you to the crowd. I appetite to appear aback actuality and win again. I anticipate I’m Parisienne.”
Sharapova said: “She’s been arena so able-bodied throughout the year and throughout the tournament. Congratulations to her. This cloister has brought me so abounding nice memories – aftermost year was so special. I’ll be aback abutting year to try to win again.”
The Russian absolved on to a clammy Chatrier Cloister aggravating to annul a 12-match accident run adjoin Williams, and things started promisingly as she recovered from 0-40 bottomward in her aperture account bold and afresh bankrupt for a 2-0 lead.
Sharapova took affection from some aboriginal Williams errors, and a second-serve ace helped her to 40-15 and aural a point of a 3-0 lead.
World cardinal one Williams hit back, though, with some assault drives and bankrupt serve with a solid overhead.
After captivation for 2-2, Williams engineered added breach credibility as Sharapova afresh went 0-40 down, and this time Williams did not let the Russian off the hook, nailing an unreturnable forehand champ that larboard Sharapova scrambling.
Sharapova banned to be abashed and abject herself akin at 4-4 back Williams beatific a backhand wide.
But there was no acquittal for Sharapova and she was beneath burden anon as Williams bankrupt serve for a third time, clenching her anchor as a forehand champ flew accomplished the ample Sharapova.
Williams afresh captivated serve to affirmation the opener afterwards 51 minutes.
Sharapova began the additional set at abounding throttle, bombarding Williams’s baseline, but it was Williams who was calmer, bond up her bold to abuse an aboriginal break.
Williams bootless to catechumen two breach credibility at 0-0 but at 1-1 the burden began to acquaint on Sharapova, who surrendered serve with a miss-hit backhand into the tramlines.
Four-times admirable bang best Sharapova afraid on in the achievement that Williams’s akin would drop, but the American was adamant in following of added above silverware.
Serving for the championship at 5-4, Williams anchored her beam on Sharapova, accursed bottomward an ace, afresh jabbed abroad a backhand champ and completed achievement with two added aces afore bottomward to her knees in celebration.
