PARIS
Russia's Maria Sharapova defeated Romania's Simona Halep in the final of the women's singles in the 2014 French Open, taking the championship for the second time in three years.
Sharapova beat her opponent 6-4, 6-7, and 6-4 in a thrilling game that saw both players hold dearly on to their serves.
The Russian star’s previous French open title was in 2012. She lost to Serena Williams in last year's final.
Holding the seventh seed in the women's singles rankings, Sharapova had defeated her 20-year-old Canadian opponent Eugenie Bouchard, ranked as eighteenth overall, in the semis of Roland Garros on Thursday.
Fourth seed Halep had to go past Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 7-6 to reach the final.
Men's singles final match at Roland Garros is on Sunday, between Spanish world number one Rafael Nadal and archrival Serbian Novak Djokovic.
www.aa.com.tr/en
