In early 2008, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic looked set to star in the WTA's next great rivalry.  Both women held the No. 1 ranking for parts of that spring and summer after Sharapova had won the Australian Open and Ivanovic had collected her first major title at Roland Garros.  They had split their two meetings at majors in 2007-08, including an Australian Open final.

Not since that scorching afternoon in Melbourne, however, have the two glamorous, statuesque champions clashed in a final.  Injuries sidelined Sharapova soon afterward, and Ivanovic had sunk into a deep downward spiral by the time that the Russian's comeback had taken flight.  In the years since their marquee meetings, moreover, Sharapova has established her dominance in this matchup.  She has won her last six meetings with Ivanovic, dropping only one set during that span, and has not lost to the Serb since 2007.  

That one set came in a Stuttgart semifinal last year, though, and Ivanovic generally has posed more challenges for Sharapova on clay than on other surfaces.  Her lone non-retirement victory over the four-time major champion came in a Roland Garros semifinal seven years ago.  She also battled Sharapova tenaciously in a high-quality battle at Rome in 2012.  The clay gives Ivanovic more time to run around her indifferent backhand and strike one of the most explosive forehands in the WTA..  Sharapova's clear advantage in backhand-to-backhand rallies thus has proved less decisive on this surface than on hard courts.

Still, the Russian has been much the superior player on clay in recent years.  Whereas Ivanovic will contest her first clay final since winning Roland Garros in 2008, her rival has reached seven clay finals since the start of 2012.  Sharapova never has lost a final on clay to an opponent other than her nemesis Serena Williams, so the Serb faces a tall task to end the Russian's perfect record in Stuttgart.  The keys to a third straight Porsche lie invitingly close for Sharapova, who never has won the same tournament three times.

For the third straight year, the Porsche Grand Prix will feature a final between two major champions.  Sharapova has defeated five fellow major champions at this tournament during that span, and she will rely on her thunderous return game to secure a sixth such win.  This final pits strength against strength in an intriguing battle between the Ivanovic serve and the Sharapova return.  While Sharapova has won 14 of her last 18 return games at thist tournament, Ivanovic has held 15 of her last 16 service games.

Both women encountered early tests this week before playing some of their most convincing tennis in the semifinals.  Sharapova endured a first-round marathon against Lucie Safarova before comfortably dismissing world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska and routing recent top-10 stalwart Sara Errani on Saturday.  Ivanovic survived two three-setters against unseeded opponents and cruised past world No. 6 Jelena Jankovic to extend her dominance over this compatriot.

Fans can expect to see plenty of short points and spectacular shot-making, patterns suited to these indoor courts.  Sharapova and Ivanovic take far more risks than one normally associates with clay-court tennis, and this arena has rewarded such risk-taking far more than most clay venues.  No matter the trajectory that the match follows, however, it is good news for the WTA to see two of its most glamorous, popular stars squaring off for a title again.