Paris: Serena Williams got the better of Maria Sharapova to win the French Open and her 16th Grand Slam title here on Saturday.
In an all-star final between the Top 2 players in the world, things didn't start out too smoothly for Williams as Maria Sharapova came out firing, coming back from 0-40 to hold serve in the opening game then breaking to go up 2-0. She even got to 40-15 in the next game - two points for a 3-0 lead.
But Williams came alive from there, clawing back to break right back, weathering the Sharapova storm over the next several games until getting the critical break for 5-4. She built a 40-0 lead in that game and, after Sharapova saved her first set point with a forehand winner, Williams closed it out, 6-4.
The two held tightly to their service games throughout the second set but a break in the third game was the dealbreaker, as the No.1-seeded Williams inched just ahead of the No.2-seeded Sharapova and didn't really look back, holding the rest of the way and eventually ending it with one last ace, 6-4 6-4.
Williams dropped her racquet, dropped to the clay and screamed to the sky - her second French Open and 16th overall Grand Slam title, now two away from Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova's 18.
Courtesy: http://www.wtatennis.com