Serena, Sharapova ready for marquee French finale

Published January 13, 2015

Saturday's blockbuster 1-versus-2 women's French Open final will pit top-ranked Serena Williams against second-seeded and defending champion Maria Sharapova.

Williams is a commanding 13-2 lifetime against Sharapova, including 3-0 this year, with wins coming in finals in Miami and Madrid. The American stalwart is 3-1 in their Grand Slam meetings, with the Russian's victory coming in the 2004 Wimbledon finale. Williams defeated Sharapova in the 2007 Aussie Open title bout.

The 31-year-old Williams, whose lone French Open title came in 2002, is the first American woman to reach the French final since she turned the trick 11 years ago.

Williams is a 15-time Grand Slam singles titlist who is currently riding a career-best 30-match winning streak and is a perfect 22-0 on clay this year. She's also 73-3 overall since a stunning first-round loss to France's Virginie Razzano in last year's French Open, including titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Olympic Games, where she beat Sharapova in the gold-medal match.

The powerful Williams is 15-4 in her career Grand Slam finals, including 1-0 at the French. She owns 51 titles overall on the WTA, including five already in six finals this year.

The second-seeded former world No. 1 Russian superstar Sharapova is 43-9 in her career at the French Open, which is best among active women.

She will appear in her eighth career Grand Slam final, is seeking a fifth major championship, and is trying to become the first women's repeat French Open champ since Justine Henin in 2007.

Sharapova will appear in her 51st career WTA-level final, seeking a 30th title. She's 2-2 in her 2013 finals, with the wins coming at Indian Wells and on a clay court in Stuttgart.

Both Williams and Sharapova have already captured the career Grand Slam, as Sharapova accomplished the feat with her French title a year ago.

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