Maria Sharapova won another French Open title on Saturday, defeating Simona Halep, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, at Roland Garros. It was Sharapova's third consecutive French final, and her second victory in three years.
Sharapova rebounded from last year's loss to Serena Williams, but, like the majority of her 2014 tournament, it wasn't easy. She played her fourth consecutive three-set match and, despite missing out on a great opportunity to win in two, she outlasted Halep down the stretch. Sharapova held a 5-3 lead in the second-set tiebreak, but Halep rallied to force the third.
In the decisive set, Halep got out to a 2-1 lead, but Sharapova was able to take the next two games, and she never looked back. Leading 5-4 and serving for the match, she didn't lose a point in the final game. In fact, Sharapova won the last eight points of the match.
Sharapova was seeded seventh in this year's tournament, and she became the lowest seed to win the women's singles title since No. 17 Francesca Schiavone won in 2010.