Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of the women's 2013 French Open final between world number one Serena Williams and defending champion, world number two Maria Sharapova.

WILLIAMS 6-4 6-4 - GAME, SET & MATCH! Serena opens the game with an ace before Sharapova hits back when Williams gets her feet in a muddle on the baseline. A ninth ace leaves Serena two points from the win before a backhand winner off the shorter ball is just about hung on to by Serena as she lands it just inside the baseline. And a 10th ace, down the centre of the court, seals the title for Serena Williams.

WILLIAMS 6-4 5-4 - Great battling play from Sharapova as she holds from deuce with a forehand winner. She would not have wanted to gone out on a service break and she has at least forced Williams to serve for the title.

WILLIAMS 6-4 5-3 - Any hope Sharapova had of Serena getting tight the closer she got to the title has just been summarily dispelled by the American as she races through another service hold in double quick time. Sharapova will have to serve to stay in the match next.

WILLIAMS 6-4 4-3 - Sharapova holds at her second attempt in the game when she finds a forehand winner after Williams had denied her at the first time of asking with a forehand winner of her own down the line. Sharapova is still just about in touch in this second set.

WILLIAMS 6-4 4-2 - Another very smooth service hold from Williams as she bangs down an ace to seal the game to 15 and put all the pressure back over the net on Sharapova.

WILLIAMS 6-4 3-2 - Some brilliantly attacking play from Sharapova as opens the game with a forehand winner across court before bringing up two game points when Serena nets a forehand. WIlliams denies her on the first with a blistering forehand return winner across court. And Sharapova squanders the second with a netted forehand half-volley. But Sharapova earns herself another chance and this time she does hold with anther forehand winner.

WILLIAMS 6-4 3-1 - A love service game is sealed by Williams as she fires a big serve out wide before racing up the court to the shorter reply and rattle her forehand winner down the line from out wide.

WILLIAMS 6-4 2-1 - BREAK! Fantastic movement across the court from Serena results in a winner and another break point. The pressure eventully tells on Sharapova as she overhits a forehand down the line and sends the ball long to concede her serve.

WILLIAMS 6-4 1-1 - Serena starts with a fabulous forehand lob winner right onto the baseline, before Sharapova levels up with some huge hitting and a forehand winner down the line but Williams goes on to hold for the loss of just that one point

WILLIAMS 6-4 0-1 - Two double faults in the game from Maria gifts Serena two more break points. The first goes begging when Williams sends a backhand long down the line as does the second when she sends an inside-out forehand return wide across court. Sharapova also saves a third with a backhand winner down the line, and then another with a forehand winner down the line. And Sharapova goes on to hold with a cross court forehand winner.

WILLIAMS 6-4 - SET! A fourth ace from Serena earns her three set points. The first goes begging but Williams does seal the set at the second time of asking when Sharapova goes wide with a backhand across court.

WILLIAMS 5-4 - BREAK! Sharapova goes long with a cross court backhand just wide across court after Williams' backhand had sped off the court at her. It brings up two more break points for Serena and she does break for a third time with an angled cross court forehand winner. Williams will serve for the set after the change of ends.

WILLIAMS 4-4 - BREAK! Serena sneaks ahead from 15-15 with an ace before allowing Sharapova to level up at 30-30 when she sends a forehand wide across court. The Russian pushes Serena wide again on the next point and draws a forehand into the net to bring up break back point. And Sharapova does break back when Serena this time goes for the down the line winner off the wide ball only to put her forehand long. Back on serve.

WILLIAMS 4-3 - Sharapova stops the run of games against her with a hold to 15 when Williams nets a forehand off another very good first serve from the Russian.

G on the comments below is correct. Serena would actually become the fifth woman to have won all four of the Grand Slams at least twice each - Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert, the woman we missed out. My apologies. I will admit to having taken our TV commentators word on that stat!

WILLIAMS 4-2 - Sharapova does very well to get up to the net and thump a backhand passing shot across court for a winner to deny Serena on her first game point. But the American holds to 30 to consolidate the break and that's four games in a row from the world number one now.

WILLIAMS 3-2 - BREAK! Serena fashions three more break points when Sharapova goes long with a forehand down the centre of the court after nearly missing the serve. The Russian saves the first and then also the second when Serena's backhand return catches the top of the tape and then sends the next backhand long. But Serena does break at the third attempt, producing a stunningly angled forehand return across court which Sharapova can only return long down the line at full stretch.

WILLIAMS 2-2 - Sharapova takes the first point of the game on a Serena error but the American roars back with three straight points, grabbing two game points when Sharapova nets a backhand passing shot attempt. Serena smothers her forehand for an error on the first but she does seal the game at the second attempt with a trip into the net.

WILLIAMS 1-2 - BREAK! Sharapova slaps down her first double fault of the day but she recovers with a 100mph second serve ace to bring up two game points. Serena denies her on the first with some huge hitting, we're starting to hear some noise from the American now, that Sharapova can only net and then also the second when Sharapova goes wide with a cross court forehand under pressure. A forehand mis-hit from Maria brings up break point and Serena does break back with a smash winner.

WILLIAMS 0-2 - BREAK! Wow! Sharapova absolutely belts a backhand down the line, drawing the cross court forehand error long from Serena to bring up two break points for the Russian. But she only needs the one as she hits with some depth again and Serena pulls her backhand wide across court. For all the talk of Serena being overwhelming favourite today, Sharapova has come out with a clear game plan. And so far it's working for her.