French Open 2014: Maria Sharapova outlasts Eugenie Bouchard to reach 3rd consecutive final

Maria Sharapova celebrates a hard earned victory

In a match that was fit to be the finale, two of the most resilient women on the WTA tour went hammer and tongs at each other with vigour and venom on a packed Court Phillippe Chatrier. Maria Sharapova was down a set but as is customary for the Russian, she refused to give up. The incredibly dogged Russian clawed her way back into the match to outlast an equally determined Eugenie Bouchard 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a two hour 27 minute thriller to reach her third straight final at the French Open.

With the weight of experience tilted firmly towards Sharapova, the onus was on the Canadian to ensure she had a good start to the match. Sharapova offered more than a scent of an opening in the third game – two break points to the Canadian allowed the latter an early opportunity.

Bouchard, seemingly unperturbed by the significance of the match or the gravity of the stage, produced a singeing off-forehand winner to nail the break and forage ahead in this intriguing contest. She then underlined her edge with an assured hold of serve to gain a 3-1 lead.

The Russian sought to repair the damage in the sixth when she pushed Bouchard to deuce. But the 20-year-old showed remarkable composure to see off Sharapova’s advances, saving break points in the process, to retain her advantage at 4-2.

Bouchard threatened to take the set further away from Sharapova in the next game. She rang in a couple of winners – a stinging forehand down the line to start the game and a backhand crosscourt – to take the initiative in the game. Sharapova then struck a forehand wide to offer a break point to Bouchard at 30-40. The resilient Sharapova recovered quickly though to hold serve and stay in touch at 3-4.

Just when it seemed the Canadian would pull away with the first set, she suffered a stutter. Errors flew off both flanks, and she offered two break points to the Russian. Sharapova ensured she was back in the set with a thundering forehand down the line winner for effect.

Sharapova is a fighter but here, on the finest clay court in the world, she was suffering from the images of resilience that were being reflected in the mirror held out by an equally determined opponent. And, of course, the shoulder surgery has left Sharapova permanently vulnerable on her serve – a double fault gifted three break points to Bouchard. The first was saved courtesy a net cord, but an unfazed Bouchard rattled a brilliant backhand winner to regain the break.

Serving for the set, Bouchard was in a tight spot at 30-30. She then sailed a forehand too far to offer a break point to Sharapova. But the young lady put out her spurs to display, playing inside the court to retrieve the situation with a pair of backhand winners before Sharapova failed to return a serve. The first set had taken 45 minutes, and more importantly it had introduced us to a woman who was resolute beyond her years.

Most expected Sharapova to take advantage of her experience to rally past her young opponent, but instead it was she who was left with a load of work to do in order to restore herself into the contest. At 15-40 in the second game of the second set, on the Bouchard serve, Sharapova had just the opportunity she needed. The Canadian played well to rally long and save the first, but Maria sealed the break with a forehand winner for 2-0 in the second set.

At 30-15 in the third game, Sharapova’s Achilles heel – her serve – came to haunt her again. An inconvenient pair of double faults were all the invitation needed for Bouchard, who took the break back with some intelligent use of court space. There was a sense of urgency that was beginning to fill the air around Chatrier, especially so for Sharapova.

The grunt grew louder as the Russian started to scamper hard, forcing the next game to deuce. It would eventually take three break points, but an unimely double fault meant that Sharapova had a 3-1 advantage, with a service game to follow. Bouchard had a break point again in the next game, but it was Sharapova who let out a squeal of relief when she survived to stay ahead a break at 4-1.

The second set was proving to be a scratchy affair, but Sharapova finally enjoyed a rare hold to love to earn her comfort at 5-2. In the eighth game, Sharapova dealt a rare ace to gain set point from 30-30, but undid the advantage immediately with another double fault to fall to deuce. A forehand winner to end a long rally gave her another, which she squandered again with – yes, you guessed right – another double fault.

Bouchard sensed vulnerability in her opponent’s inability to hold serve. The battle prolonged as Sharapova sought desperately to serve out the set, but it was Bouchard who eventually broke back to put the set back on serve.

Precariously close to the exit, Sharapova did a good job in the 11th game to hold serve and force Bouchard to serve to stay in it. And as she has so often in her up and down career, Sharapova nudged herself back into the match. There were no signs of any pressure till then, but a weary looking Bouchard netted a forehand on Sharapova’s fifth set point. The turn of events energized the Russian, who was now moving quicker and shrieking louder.

Bouchard was comfortable at 40-0 in the fourth game of the third set, but an unseemly backhand error allowed the game to slip to deuce. Bouchard saved a break point too, but Sharapova blasted a forehand winner to earn another chance. The Canadian sent a forehand volley into the net to surrender perhaps the most crucial game of the match. An energized Sharapova shook Chatrier with a lung busting scream after holding serve to take a 4-1 lead.

At 15-40 in the sixth game, Bouchard was living on the brink of defeat. Although the Canadian did brilliantly to win four points in a row to hold serve, the clock was ticking away towards Sharapova at 4-2 in the final set. At 30-30 in the next game, Bouchard sailed a forehand wide and then shot a volley too deep to leave the Russian within a game from the final.

Bouchard now had to serve to stay in the match, a far cry from the time she was up a set in the second. She needed resolve, but discovered some trembling nerves. A double fault at 15-30 offered Sharapova two match points, but Bouchard somehow found the composure to save not just two but four match points.

Sharapova gained a fifth opportunity with a meaty service return and this time it was all Bouchard could do to stave off the Russian. A forehand winner sealed yet another victory that showcased her tough as nails character, in the process reaching the final for a third year running.

That said, Bouchard is only at the beginning of an immensely promising career. She will have plenty of thrills and spills in the years to come. The Russian, meanwhile, awaits the winner between Simona Halep and Andrea Petkovic to play for the title on Saturday.