The top two seeds – Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova – will contest the French Open women’s final, but they took starkly contrasting routes to get there from the semi-finals.
Top seed Williams bulldozed her way past an outclassed Sara Errani of Italy 6-0 6-1 in just 46 minutes. Defending champion Sharapova survived a second-set slump to get past Victoria Azarenka 6-1 2-6 6-4.
It will be the first time since 1995, when Steffi Graf defeated top seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, that the two top seeds have contested the women’s final at Roland Garros.
The two have met 15 times with Williams ahead 13-2 and Sharapova has not won since she defeated the American as a 17-year-old newcomer at the season-ending WTA Championship in 2004.
The way Williams demolished the lightweight Errani, who gave Sharapova some problems in last year’s final, will mean that she will start a strong favourite to bag her 16th Grand Slam title.
The 31-year-old American blasted 40 winners to Errani’s two while the Italian won just five points on Williams’ serve.
It will be Williams first French Open final since she won her only title in Paris in 2002, beating sister Venus in the final, and her 20th career Grand Slam final.
Williams will take a career-best 30-match winning streak with her into the final against Sharapova.
“I told myself: ‘Serena, just concentrate’ and that’s what I did (against Errani),” said Williams, who had been pushed to three sets and almost two hours by quarter-final opponent Svetlana Kuznetsova.
“Against Maria, I will have to prepare slightly differently. She’s a great player. But it’s magnificent to be back in the final after 11 years.”
Sharapova will play the eighth Grand Slam final of her career.
“I really had to play to the end today (in the semi-final) and I am extremely happy to be back in the final,” said Sharapova.