Serena Williams is playing as well as she was when she won her last French Open championship in 2003. Rolling through semifinal opponent Sara Errani in straight sets earlier this week, Serena will play her for her first French title in 11 years.
Maria Sharapova will be her opponent and while the defending Open champion didn't advance to the final in the same dominant fashion her title match opponent did, Sharapova will be plenty happy with the chance to defend her crown.
When and Where to Watch Women's Final
The top two seeds in the field, No. 1 Serena Williams and No. 2 Maria Sharapova will meet for the 16th time in their careers on Saturday, June 8. Television coverage will begin at 9 a.m, EDT on the NBC network while an online live stream will be available through NBC Sports Live Extra.
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Final Preview - No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 2 Maria Sharapova
Matched up against 2012 Open runner-up Sara Errani in the semifinals, Serena Williams played one of the best matches of her stellar career. Winning the first 9 games, the 2003 Open champion swept through the first set in perfect fashion and closed out the second set 6-1, taking down the No. 5-seeded Italian in a fantastic performance that only required 47 minutes of effort.
As she now prepares to meet a player she's dominated throughout her career, Williams knows she needs to continue to be aggressive and is somewhat humbled to return to the French final considering the fact that she battled serious health problems a few years back.
"It would mean everything to me to win," Williams said to The Washington Post. "But to still be playing and to still be healthy after 11 years is even better, I think. I just feel good. I had nothing to lose this whole tournament and I'm still alive and I really can't believe it. It's great."
Williams will now look to improve her overall record against Maria Sharapova to 14-2 when the two meet Saturday at Roland Garros.
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Matched up against No. 3 Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, Sharapova raced out to a hot start, taking the first set in 6-1 dominant fashion. With a strong early service game and steady returns, Sharapova was able to slow the success rate of the opposition in all facets of the game. Her luck would change heading into the second frame however as the 2012 French champ struggled mightily on serve, dropping the second set 6-2.
A 35-minute rain delay postponed the start of the third set and both players looked sluggish upon returning to the court, misfiring with forced and unforced errors but Maria Sharapova had enough left to finish off the two-time Australian Open champion 6-4.
Advancing to her second-consecutive final, Sharapova was pleased with the way she closed the match against Azarenka, noting that she feels a great sense of accomplishment to returning to this year's final.
"Those last few points are the toughest," Sharapova said to ESPN. "To come back as defending champion, it's extremely special to get back on that stage where it comes down to the last two players of the tournament."
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French Open Final Wrap-Up
The two best players in the women's draw are the two left fighting for a championship. Be sure to catch all the action Saturday from Roland Garros as No. 1 Serena Williams takes on No. 2 Maria Sharapova to determine who will become the 2013 Women's French Open champion.
Coverage of the final starts at 9:00 a.m., EDT on NBC television and an on-line live stream will be available through NBC Sports Live Extra.
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