The women’s semifinals took center stage at Roland Garros on Thursday. After all was said and done, the favorites prevailed to set up what should be a competitive French Open final.

Sharapova Roars Back Again

In what has become a theme for seventh seed Maria Sharapova, a comeback was necessary to advance to her third straight French Open final. Sharapova again dropped the first set before bouncing back for a 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory against Eugenie Bouchard. The match pitted two competitors with similar DNA. Both possess extreme intensity, desire, and drive. In fact, many would label Bouchard a younger version of Sharapova with her complete “in it to win it” mentality. Just this week, the Canadian underscored her desire by implying she was not on the tour to make friends, words that have been spoken by Sharapova previously.

On Thursday, Bouchard stepped up to the plate, putting aside her well-publicized comments regarding the fact that Sharapova was her childhood idol. She pressured Sharapova by stepping in and taking the ball early, forcing errors from the Russian and earning an early break in the first set. Capitalizing on Sharapova's inconsistent serve, Bouchard continued an aggressive path and was able to serve out the set.

Just 45 minutes into the match, Sharapova found herself forced to win the last two sets to advance, again. She was successful in turning the tide by finding inroads into Bouchard's serve, breaking Bouchard early in the set. After adding another service break, Sharapova jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set with the momentum swinging in her favor. However, underscoring her fighting mentality, Bouchard staved off three set points en route to leveling it. Sharapova then broke Bouchard once more in the 12th game to even the match.

The third set saw an early momentary lapse from Bouchard, and the veteran Sharapova made the most of it, breaking the young Canadian with her typical relentless style. With Bouchard fighting to stay within a one-break deficit, Sharapova resembled a shark with blood in the water. As the finish line loomed, she broke Bouchard one more time to take the third set and the match. With the win, Sharapova extended her streak of three-set victories on clay to 19.

Asked about her recent three-set comebacks, Sharapova replied, “If some things are not working out, I don’t just want to quit in the middle. When you lose the first set or a few games or you’re down a break, that’s not the end of the match. That’s the type of philosophy that I play with.”

That philosophy is certainly one that her counterpart could appreciate. Not searching for silver linings afterwards, Bouchard commented, “I'm a bit disappointed with these moments that I didn't handle well. I didn't play the right level, the level I know I can play. I trust that I'm really close to winning major tournaments and to being the player I want to be.”

The former French Open champion will now move forward to face Simona Halep for the women’s championship.

Halep Reaches First Major Final

Fourth seed Simona Halep won her first major semifinal on Thursday with a 6-2 7-6(4) win over Germany's Andrea Petkovic. The Romanian was quick to the punch in the first set, when she quickly broke Petkovic to gain an advantage. And it was her aggressive style that dictated the result against the German, who appeared to be tight early.

However, Petkovic loosened up in the second set as she jumped out to a 3-1 lead. That lead would not last long as Halep quickly evened the set with a break of her own. The set remained close throughout with neither woman gaining a decisive advantage. The second set advanced to a tiebreak, when the graceful Halep sealed her spot in the final by winning the last two points on her serve. She has yet to drop a set in Paris and will appear in her first Grand Slam final when she faces Sharapova on Saturday.

The 22-year-old was thrilled with her achievement. “It's incredible I will play the final here in Paris,” Halep said. And the Romanian has her eye on the prize as well, “I have a lot of confidence in myself now. I played really well here. The next round will be tough. I played her (Sharapova) in Madrid. Why not take my revenge,” added the woman who lost to the Russian in the Madrid final.

Interestingly, after the top three seeds exited, Sharapova and Halep were quickly targeted as favorites in the tournament. Both escaped the fate of the higher seeds and are playing impressive tennis, which should ensure a very compelling final.