BACK ON TOP
Finally wins 2nd French title
Serena Williams takes a 6-4, 6-4 victory over defending champ Maria Sharapova to win her second French Open title.
PARIS — Serena Williams knew, of course, that 11 years had passed since her only French Open title.
She also knew, of course, what happened a year ago in Paris: the only firstround Grand Slam loss of her career, to a woman ranked outside the top 100, no less.
Eager to repeat the elation of 2002, and motivated by the disappointment of 2012, Williams used terrific defense and her usual powerful hitting in Saturday’s final, closing with a crescendo of aces — three in the last game — for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over defending champion Maria Sharapova to collect a second Roland Garros title and 16th major trophy overall.
“I’m still a little bit upset about that loss last year,” the No. 1-ranked Williams said with a chuckle.
“But it’s all about, for me, how you recover,” she continued. “I think I’ve always said a champion isn’t about how much they win, but it’s about how they recover from their downs, whether it’s an injury or whether it’s a loss.”
There have been low moments for the 31-yearold American — none worse, perhaps, than a 10-month stretch ending in 2011 that included two foot operations and treatment for blood clots in her lungs — but she’s at a high point now.
Saturday’s victory was her 31st in a row, the longest season streak in 13 years. Williams is 43-2 with six titles this season.
“She is playing extremely well,” Sharapova said. “She’s a competitor.”
This was the first major final between women ranked 1-2 in more than nine years, but it was not all that close. Particularly at crunchtime.
Sharapova saved five break points in the second set’s opening game, but Williams got the last break she would need two games later, and it was made possible by the sort of baseline scrambling she did all day. Sharapova struck a forehand down the line that would have ended the point against most opponents, but Williams got the ball back, and with an extra shot necessary, the Russian slapped a forehand into the net.
On break point, Sharapova smacked a 109mph serve, but Williams’ strong return forced another mistake. Now Williams merely needed to hold serve the rest of the way, and half of her 10 aces came in her last two service games.
She is the oldest woman to win the French Open in at least 45 years, and the oldest at any Grand Slam since Martina Navratilova was 33 at Wimbledon in 1990.
“I really believe age is a number at this point, because I have never felt so fit. I feel great. I look great,” she said, laughing at her own joke. “If I see someone that’s 31, I’m like, ‘You’re old.’ Then I’m like, ‘I’m 31.’ But I don’t feel it at all.”