Maria Sharapova laid claim the title of top women's tennis player in the world on Thursday. Sharapova beat Petra Kvitova, ranked fourth, in the semifinals to claim the top spot and a trip the finals. Her opponent is Italy's Sara Errani, who entered the tournament ranked No. 21 in the world.
This is Sharapova's first appearance in the finals at Roland Garros. Though she has won grand slam titles on other courts, she has struggled on the clay surface.
Errani, who won the women's doubles title at Roland Garros with Roberta Vinci, has had an exciting run to the finals. She beat reigning US Open champ Samantha Stosur in the semifinals to advance. The best finish Errani has had in grand slam singles play is a trip to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
The women's finals match is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Central. Fans can watch it live on NBC.
Check out the full French Open scoreboard at SI.com for up-to-the-second updates on what's happening at Roland Garros.
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