PARIS -- It had almost become routine.
Maria Sharapova was in the French Open semifinals again. Maria Sharapova forgot how to serve again. Maria Sharapova lost the first set again.
French Open women
Today’s final
No. 4 Simona Halep vs. No. 7 Maria Sharapova, 8 a.m. Central, NBC
And Maria Sharapova is in the final at Roland Garros -- again.
Sharapova, 27, rallied to defeat Eugenie Bouchard, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday, adding to her resume as the new queen of clay by reaching her third consecutive French Open final.
Since the start of 2012 she has won nearly 93 percent of her matches on clay (53-4), winning six titles, including the 2012 French Open.
In today's final, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion will face Simona Halep, a 6-2, 7-6 (4) winner over No. 28 Andrea Petkovic on Thursday.
In her past two matches, Sharapova has taken out fast-rising members of the next generation of women's tennis in 20-year-olds Bouchard and Garbine Muguruza.
Halep, 22, may be the fastest rising one of all. Ranked 57th a year ago, she is now No. 4 -- four spots ahead of Sharapova -- and is in her first Grand Slam singles final.
"I had impressive 12 months, but today at this tournament, it's more," Halep said. "I mean, it's fantastic."
Playing a series of younger players with nothing to lose and everything to gain from experience on the big stage hardly seems to ruffle Sharapova.
"I still have the hunger, even though I'm in a different generation," she said.
The poised and aggressive Bouchard, a Canadian in her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal, took the first set, as Sharapova put only 57 percent of her first serves in and lost 75 percent of the points on her second serve.
But it seemed as if this match would be similar to Sharapova's previous two. Against Samantha Stosur and Muguruza, Sharapova lost the first set but battled back to win the last two. She jumped to a 5-2 lead in the second set against Bouchard. Then things got interesting.
Serving for the set at 5-3, Sharapova got a set point with the first ace of the match. Then she double-faulted the next point away. After hitting a blistering forehand winner to end a long rally and earn another set point, Sharapova double-faulted again.
Sharapova saved two break points, the second with a second serve ace, but she could not save a third break point and the set was back on serve.
With Bouchard serving at 5-6, Sharapova earned two more set points with a massive crosscourt winner and converted the second to even the match.
Sharapova said after the match that she would prefer two-set matches, but that she had worked hard to be physically and mentally ready to do whatever it took to win.
"I feel I have played a lot of tough matches in this clay season," she said. "I think that's benefited and helped me because I have been pushed in different situations."
Sharapova is unbeaten in her past 19 three-set matches on clay, including her past seven at the French Open.
"I'm not sure if that's something can you work on," she said. "I think when you're forced to be in those situations when you're either not playing good or you find yourself in a losing position, I just don't want to give up, because I work too hard to just let something go and let a match go."
Halep is well aware that she cannot count out Sharapova. They played in the Madrid final last month, and Halep won the first set 6-1 but Sharapova won the match.
"I was very fast on court, and I opened the angles very well," Halep said. "But she came back very, very well and she hit strong, stronger than me at that moment."
The last three-set match Sharapova lost on clay came here in 2010 to Justine Henin, a four-time French Open champion. That match may be more important to her success on clay than any of the subsequent three-setters Sharapova won.
"I lost that match, but I got off the court realizing that I could win this tournament," Sharapova said. "I still had so much work to do."
Much work has been done, but there is still more to do.
"I played three matches, two before this, and in the end of today's third set I still feel like I can play another one," Sharapova said. "That's something I didn't have a few years ago, and I have improved. Obviously there is one more to go."
Sports on 06/07/2014