A fortnight ago, 128 women came to Paris with the dream of hoisting the trophy.  Now, after a topsy-turvy tournament that has included upsets galore, it is Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep who have battled their way to the final. One of them will leave the French capital as the 2014 Roland Garros champion.

Few would bet against Sharapova coming up with the goods to bag her second French Open title.  Clay has become her best surface, and Saturday will mark her third consecutive trip to the final here.  Furthermore, she has four major titles already under her belt and far more experience at this elite level than Halep.  She also owns a pristine 3-0 head-to-head record against the Romanian.  These factors make Sharapova the favorite in this contest.

For all of Sharapova’s credentials, however, Halep is hardly coming into this final on a wing and a prayer.  Despite her lopsided record against her, Halep has made consistent progress in each of those encounters to cracking the Russian’s code, including taking a set off Sharapova a few weeks ago in the Madrid final.  The world No. 4 is looking increasingly more comfortable with her place near the top of the game, and nowhere was that more evident than in her semifinal against Andrea Petkovic.  Halep did not play that match as though it were her first trip to the final four.  She spent the bulk of her time playing like someone who not only believed she should be there but believed she should win that match.

Halep will need that kind of belief when she faces Sharapova on Saturday.  Due to the difference in their statures, the Russian will be in a better position to make things happen, although Halep will not be completely at her mercy.  Sharapova hits bigger than the Romanian, which makes it easier for her to pin Halep behind the baseline, but Halep has the better set of wheels and hands.  She has proven herself excellent at moving the ball around the court.  If she can do that consistently to keep Sharapova off balance, it will be difficult for the former No. 1 to readily set up for her powerful groundstrokes.  Another key to this match is what kind of serving day these two women have.  Both are good returners, who are happy to tee off on second serves, so it is essential that each maintains a high first-serve percentage.

Of course, as important as the matchup between their contrasting styles is, arguably the biggest deciding factor in Saturday’s final will be how the two competitors mentally cope with the situation.  Halep has plenty of reason to be confident.  She has played better than Sharapova this tournament to reach the final, and she has spent the last six rounds looking like a player who expects to be here.  But a major final is often a unique situation.  Sharapova has been here before.  She knows what it takes, and, although she has found herself in some deep holes her last three matches, she has always found a way to come back. 

It is unlikely that Sharapova will be flustered if she falls behind early against Halep.  If the Romanian hopes to win her first major, therefore, she must not only mentally overcome the magnitude of the occasion but prove that she can outlast Sharapova, one of the greatest fighters in the sport today.

If Halep is up to the challenge, this match has the potential to offer something special for the players and the fans.  Both women have worked hard to get to this point, and each would make a worthy champion.  It is only fitting that they should put together a match that is a worthy capstone to their journeys here in Paris.