Live Commentary: French Open Final - Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova - as it happened

Good afternoon! In around 15 minutes, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will head out onto the Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros as they both look to be crowned French Open champion for the second time in their careers.

Sharapova is the defending champion, having beaten Sara Errani in last year's final. It was quite a turnaround for the Russian, who once famously compared her movement on clay to a cow on ice. Meanwhile, Williams has not won in Paris since 2002, and has only reached the semis once since then.

This will be the 16th meeting between the two players. In their 15 previous encounters, Williams has won on 13 occasions, including the last 12. Sharapova's two wins over the world number one both came in 2004, and she has never beaten the American on clay. These are all statistics that the world number two will have to ignore if she is to retain the title.

Williams faced a fairly straightforward route to the final, dropping just one set to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals. Sharapova started the tournament well, but had to come from a set down against Jelena Jankovic in the last eight, before facing an epic battle with Victoria Azarenka in the semis.

When asked in a press conference about her record against Williams, Sharapova told reporters: "I'd be lying if I said it doesn't bother me. I don't think that it would be a pretty competitive statement if I said it didn't. I would love to change that around. Obviously whatever I did in the past hasn't worked, so I'll have to try to do something different. I'm proud of the way that I came through this tournament. I have given myself a chance to face the favorite."

Speaking after her semi-final win over Errani, Williams told reporters: "It would be awesome to win the tournament. I don't think I can describe how happy I would be. But right now it's still a dream. I'm feeling really comfortable here this time. What's changed this year? I didn't lose in the first round."

Both players have similar styles, often looking to dominate from the baseline while replying on big, powerful serves. It's a style that has led to them being two of the most successful modern-day players. Williams has won 51 singles titles, including 15 Grand Slams, while Sharapova has 29 titles and four Grand Slams.

The players are just coming onto the court ready for today's final. They'll be given a few minutes to warm up before the proceedings get underway.

Sharapova has won the coin toss and has chosen to serve first in the opening set.

Unsurprisingly given her record against Sharapova in the last 10 years, Williams is the bookmakers' favourite for this afternoon's match. Hopefully Sharapova can make it a competition, but the world number one has lost just three matches since exiting Roland Garros in the opening round last year.

Thankfully, it looks like it will be good weather conditions throughout the final. It's 26C on court at the moment, with no rain forecast and just a slight breeze.

The warm ups are over and the two players are just grabbing a quick drink before the match gets underway.

It's a lively start as both try to dominate from the baseline, but Williams claims the opening two points by coming into the net. A poor forehand from Sharapova hands the American three break points. Despite missing her first serve, the Russian saves the first of the break points with a strong serve out wide, before a Williams return goes long to take the game to 40-30, and an ace brings up deuce. The second seed seems to have found her rhythm on serve, and is able to force a couple of mistakes from her opponent to hold serve.

BREAK! Williams looked to have started the game well, claiming the opening point with a superb back hand. But a series of excellent returns from the defending champion gave her two break points. The pair get into a lengthy rally, but the American fires her backhand wide, giving Sharapova an early break. The Russian has never defended a Grand Slam title, but she's made the perfect start here.

BREAK! Sharapova looks so fired up for this match, letting out a big shout of "come on" every time she wins a point. The second seed moves well around the court before taking a second-serve ace to bring up 40-15, but Williams fights hard to get herself back into the game, as the Russian hits the ball into the net. Williams sends her opponent out wide with a brilliant forehand, and Sharapova makes the return, but leaves the court wide open for the world number one to bring up deuce. A wild mis-hit from Sharapova gives Williams a chance to break back, and she smashes the ball past the defending champion to claim her first game of the match.

Sharapova's energy levels and sheer determination have served her well in the opening three games, but she'll need to improve her first-serve percentage to stop Williams attacking her serve.

Like Sharapova, Williams is not getting enough first serves in, but her impressive forehand helps her to a 40-15 lead, but a careless shot hits the net. However, Williams clinches the game with a well-struck forehand from well inside the baseline.

BREAK! Sharapova starts poorly, handing Williams the first point with a double fault, before firing her forehand into the net. A strong return from the American catches Sharapova out, and she hits the ball long, giving Williams three more break points. The top seed tries to clinch the game with a delicate volley, but she fails to get in back across the net, but a brilliant return a point later allows her to take the break.

The Russian's intensity levels seem to have dropped off during the last couple of games, while Williams has gradually played her way into the match, and is looking strong.

Sharapova thinks she has the chance to go on the attack when Williams misses her first serve, but a big second serve sees the Russian return the ball to the net. An ace from Williams gives her a 40-15 lead, and she tries to seal the game with a drop shot, but some impressive pace from Sharapova ensures that she makes the return. A long forehand on the next point from the defending champion sees Williams hold.

Easily the most comfortable service game of the match so far for Sharapova. She's still struggling with her first serve, having got just 46% of them in so far, but her placement on second serve forces a series of errors from Williams, allowing the Russian a comfortable hold.

BREAK! After a couple of error-strewn games from both players, the tennis is starting to flow a little more now, with some good baseline rallies. The change in style seems to suit Sharapova, as she forces a couple of wide shots from Williams to give herself a break point. Williams sends the Russian running along the baseline, but the defending champion is able to keep the point alive, and the American fires the ball long to hand Sharapova the break.

BREAK! Williams wins the point following a 20-shot rally, after Sharapova hits her backhand into the net. A wide effort from the Russian gives Williams two chances to regain the break of serve, and she takes it with a ferocious cross-court forehand, which lands just on the sideline. Williams will now serve for the opening set.

It's an impressive serving display from Serena Williams to seal the first set. She gets too much behind the ball to allow Sharapova to make returns, before bringing up three set points with a superb ace down the centre of the court. Sharapova tried to save the set, winning a point back with a forehand to the sideline, but a long ball on the next point ensured that Williams would take the opening set.

The serving has been a let down from both players so far in this match. Sharapova had just 47% of her serves in the the first set, while Williams had 57%.

Williams goes straight on the attack with some aggressive returning, claiming the first two points of the game, but some strong ground strokes get Sharapova back into the game. Another double fault from the Russian brings up two break points for her opponent though, but she saves both as the American hits two backhands wide. Williams gets advantage, but Sharapova plays some superb shots from the baseline to force a mistake from the world number one while running to make a return. Sharapova finally forces advantage when Williams returns a big serve from the Russian to the net, and she clinches the game with a forehand to the back corner of the court, having saved five break points along the way.

One thing which was noticeable in the opening game of the second set, Sharapova has got a lot louder. She's clearly having to work extremely hard to stay with Williams at the moment.

Williams catches Sharapova out with a brilliant drop shot, but the Russian claims the next point by smashing a forehand winner down the sideline. The defending champion tries to keep herself in the game with a drop shot of her own, but Williams sees it coming, and gets to the net in time to make the return and clinch the game.

BREAK! Some fantastic shots from Williams help her to a 30-0 advantage, but Sharapova digs deep to get herself back in the game, but she hits her backhand into the net to give Williams a break point, and the American takes the break when a Sharapova forehand goes long on the next point. The pressure seems to be getting to the Russian at the moment.

Williams looks in complete control as she sends Sharapova running all around the court, making her opponent stretch for every shot. The result is a series of mistakes from the Russian and a comfortable hold for the world number one.

Sharapova manages to wrong-foot Williams with a forehand down the line, leaving her out of position, but the top seed responds well, smashing a forehand return past her opponent. Sharapova manages to get Williams moving, forcing her to mis-hit while sliding behind the baseline. However, more careless errors from the Russian see her let a 40-15 lead slip to deuce. The defending champion finally seems to be upping her first-serve percentage though, and it pays off as a couple of bid deliveries are too much for Williams to return, allowing Sharapova to hold serve, and just about keep herself in the match.

A short return from Sharapova allows Williams to come into the court and smash the ball onto the sideline, before the American fires the ball down the opposite sideline into an empty court, with Sharapova out of position following the serve. An ace wraps up a strong service game for Williams, leaving her just two games from winning the tournament.

Sharapova finds some of her strongest serving of the match to force some incredible defensive play from Williams, but the Russian is too strong from the baseline, wrapping up the game by forcing a mis-hit from the American. That was Sharapova's strongest game of this second set, but she'll need to keep that up against the Williams serve next if she's to get back into the match.

It's difficult to see Sharapova getting the break back with Williams serving like she is at the moment, as the world number one fires two aces past the Russian on her way to a hold to love. Sharapova must hold serve to stay in the match.

Sharapova may not be able to match her opponent's quality of tennis today but her competitive spirit has been impressive. After losing a 30-0 lead, the Russian manages to blast a forehand past the American, to edge ahead, but a great backhand from the top seed saw the game head to deuce. A bold second serve from the Russian gave her advantage, before a couple of solid forehands in a rally from the baseline ensured that Sharapova held her serve. Williams will now serve for the match and championship.

Williams has two championship points.

Williams hit three aces past Sharapova in a dominant final service game, and the American lets her emotions out as she seals the Roland Garros title for the second time in her career, 11 years after her first French Open success.

By contrast, Sharapova looks upset as she sits in her chair while Williams laps up the applause of the crowd. The Russian has never successfully defended a Grand Slam title, though she fought hard today.

Speaking in French to the crowd, Williams says that she is delighted to have won the title, having been nervous ahead of the match. She's so emotional that she forgets the word for 16, which is the number of Grand Slam singles titles that she now has, and thanks the crowd for their support.

Last year's champion is also speaking on court. She tells the crowd: "I played a great tournament and ran against a really tough champion today. This court has brought me so many nice memories, last year was incredibly special to me. Of course I would have loved to have won here but I'll be back again next year."

Well that's all from the women's singles tournament at this year's French Open. Stick around for reaction to the match, and join us again tomorrow for the men's final between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. Until then, thanks for joining me this afternoon. Good bye.