Headline PH: Italy's Schiavone wins French Open title

PARIS – Francesca Schiavone threw uppercuts, put her fists to her face, skipped about the court and laughed at the crowd. And then, when she had won the French Open, she really let her emotions show.

With the performance of a lifetime, Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title by beating Samantha Stosur 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final Saturday.

The tour veteran rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the second set and took the clinching tiebreaker with a succession of brilliant shots.

When she had won, she fell onto her back, then rolled over and kissed the clay. She rose covered with dirt, hugged Stosur and broke into a champion's grin. She then trotted to the back of the baseline and climbed the wall for a group hug with her supporters.

At 29, Schiavone (pronounced Skee-ah-VOH-nay) became the oldest woman to win her first Grand Slam title since Ann Jones at Wimbledon in 1969 at age 30. She's the first Italian Grand Slam champion since Adriano Panatta won the French Open men's title in 1976.

Schiavone was seeded 17th. The only other time the Roland Garros title has been won by a woman not seeded in the top 10 was in 1933.

The women's final was the best in nearly a decade at Roland Garros, and the quality of play climaxed in the tiebreaker. Schiavone reached match point by hitting four consecutive winners, the last a lunging backhand volley, and she exulted after every one.

Schiavone then hit a backhand into the corner with so much spin it deflected off Stosur's racket, and the real celebration began.

Both players were first-time Grand Slam finalists, but there were few signs of jitters. They served well and held without facing a break point until the ninth game, when Stosur fell behind love-40. She saved two break points but then double-faulted for the first time, slapping her thigh in anger after the mistake that cost her the game.

Schiavone fell behind love-30 in the next game but rallied, hitting four winners to help her hold and seal the set. Stosur walked off the court screaming angrily at herself.

Stosur saved two break points and held to go ahead 2-1 in the second set, then broke for the first time en route to a 4-1 lead.

Schiavone rallied, losing only four points in the next three games and taking advantage of several Stosur errors to reach 4-all. Both players then held to reach the exciting tiebreaker.

By STEVEN WINE,
AP Sports Writer

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