PARIS - PARIS - Maria Sharapova of Russia won her second French Open on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory against Simona Halep of Romania. Related Coverage
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, has also come a long way in a year. After the French Open last year, she 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.
But Sharapova 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. On Tennis: Maria Sharapova Is Finding Her Stride on Clay at Roland Garros On Tennis: At French Open, Simona Halep Carries the Hopes of Romania For Missing Major Crown, Djokovic Must Dethrone a Dominant King
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