Maria Sharapova v Simona Halep, Roland Garros 2014 Women's Final: Where to Watch Live and Preview

Maria Sharapova takes on Simona Halep in the Women's Singles final of the 2014 Roland Garros at Court Philippe Chatrier, Paris, on Saturday.

Where to Watch Live

The game is set to begin at 2pm BST. Live coverage is on ITV 1 and British Eurosport. Radio commentary, regular updates and live scores will be available on Roland Garros' official website.

Overview

Sharapova registered a hard-fought victory over Eugenie Bouchard in the semi-final on Thursday needing 147 minutes. Trailing the first set, 4-6, the former women's no 1 bounced back, 7-5, 6-2, in the subsequent sets to oust the 20-year-old Canadian.

The victory allowed the four time Grand Slam winner to reach her third consecutive French Open final.

Meanwhile, Halep progressed into the first Grand Slam final of her career and brushed aside Andrea Petkovic in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (4). The win saw the 22-year-old Romanian secure her third victory in four meetings against her German counterpart after a tough battle lasting 90 minutes.

Sharapova lifted the crown in 2012 but failed to defend it against Serena Williams last year. The 27-year-old will be hoping to put her previous experiences in major events to good use to secure her second title in Paris.

Halep recently faced the current women's no 8 in the Madrid Masters final but could only clinch the opening set before losing the next two. The women's no 4 will be keen to avenge that defeat and win her first Grand Slam title.

Depending on the result of the final, both players will see a jump in their WTA rankings list. Sharapova could find herself as high as the fifth place if she wins the title or else she will have to settle for the sixth rank.

Halep, who is yet to drop a set in this year's tournament, will certainly jump to number three irrespective of the result on Saturday evening.

Head-to-Head

Sharapova holds a 3-0 lead over Halep in overall meetings. The pair have never clashed in a Grand Slam event.

What They Say

Maria Sharapova: "I would love to win those matches in two sets, but I always feel like I put in the work to be ready to play whatever it takes. If it takes three hours to win the match in three sets, I will be ready for that. I'm not sure if that's something can you work on, but 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. You put so much effort, you and your team, to get to this position. If some things are not working out, I don't just want to quit in the middle ... That's the type of philosophy that I play with."

Simona Halep: "Why not? Maybe I will take the revenge (for the defeat in Madrid Masters). I don't know how I have to play to beat Maria, (or) if I can beat Maria, better to say. But I have to take that revenge. I will fight for this one. I played a really good match in Madrid first set. I started really well. I was very fast on court, and I opened the angles very well. But she came back very, very well and she hit strong, stronger than me at that moment. Now, I have to be aggressive again, to play fast, like my style, and to stay there with the nerves. It will be a tough moment for me. I know. I'm sure that will be. But I have to be happy and just to enjoy. I cannot say how I will feel Saturday. I cannot now. I don't know how is it to play a final of a Grand Slam."

Route to Finals

Maria Sharapova