The women's semi-finals take centre stage at Roland Garros with Victoria Azarenka taking on defending champion Maria Sharapova and favourite Serena Williams facing Italy's Sara Errani.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 6-4 - GAME, SET & MATCH! An off-balance forehand error from Azarenka hands Sharapova THREE MORE MATCH POINTS ... And this time Sharapova does book her place in the final with an ace down the centre of the court.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-4 - Commendable from Azarenka as she holds to love, Sharapova netting a forehand on the first game point, to put all the pressure back on the Russian. Sharapova will have a second chance to serve out the match after the change of ends.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-3 - BREAK! Azarenka saves this one with a great cross court backhand that a running, stretching Sharapova can only net in reply. And a double fault, a 10th double from Sharapova, hands Azarenka another break back point ... And a break it is as Sharapova slaps down AN 11TH DOUBLE FAULT. Ouch. Azarenka will still have to serve to stay in this match though.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 Ad-40 - Sharapova saves it with another great serve down the centre of the court and deuce quickly becomes MATCH POINT NUMBER FOUR after a forehand winner from the Russian ...

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 40-Ad - Another great backhand return of serve from the Belarusian draws a backhand wide across court this time from Sharapova squanders the match point and this time she goes long with a forehand down the line to hand Azarenka a break back point. Sharapova saves it with a serve down the centre of the court that Azarenka returns wide and long with an off-backhand. But she hands the Belarusian a second break point with a backhand long ...

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 Ad-40 - A fantastic backhand return of serve from Azarenka, right at the feet of Sharapova, draws the error (another backhand into the net) that levels things at deuce again. But an ace out wide from Sharapova brings up the THIRD MATCH POINT ...

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 Ad-40 - This time Sharapova's backhand down the line ends up in the top of the net to allow Azarenka to level back at deuce. But a backhand goes just marginally wide across court from the Belarusian to hand Sharapova a SECOND MATCH POINT ...

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 40-30 - Sharapova levels at 30-30 with a sensational, sliced backhand winner down the line after a great cross court backhand return of serve from Azarenka. A change-of-direction forehand winner down the line from Sharapova brings up a FIRST MATCH POINT...

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 5-2 - BREAK! With an hour and 51 minutes on the clock, Sharapova will serve for a place in the final. She breaks the Azarenka serve for a third time in a row, the Belarusian hitting long down the centre of the court to concede her serve to 15.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 4-2 - A ninth double fault from Sharapova allows Azarenka to level at 30-30 while a backhand wide across court allows her to level at deuce. But Azarenka can't do anything with that slim chance, hitting long off the forehand wing to hand Sharapova a break point. And the Russian holds to consolidate the break with a service winner.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 3-2 - BREAK! It's not great stuff from either player at the moment as Azarenka goes long with a fairly routine forehand to gift Sharapova another break point. The Russian paints the very outside of the lines on both sides, first with a cross court forehand and then with an inside-out forehand across court in the opposite direction. Azarenka wants a look at the mark, putting her arm up but she changes her mind when she gets to the ball, Alves having already called "game" anyway.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 2-2 - BREAK! A backhand across court goes astray for Sharapova as she hands Azarenka a second break point. But again she saves it with a huge second serve and easy forehand winner. Azarenka gets a third chance though when Sharapova goes long down the line with a change-of-direction forehand, after bossing the point from the baseline. And this time, after 10 minutes, Azarenka does break back when Sharapova slaps down a FOURTH double fault for the game. Ouch.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 2-1 - Having worked so hard to great the break, Sharapova quickly looks in danger of handing it back to Azarenka, slapping down consecutive double faults to allow the Belarusian to go 15-30 up. She levels with a forehand winner before an off-balance backhand is pulled well wide across court to gift Azarenka the break back point. Sharapova saves it ace and brings up game point with another ace before a double fault sees her pegged back to deuce again.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 2-1 - BREAK! A netted forehand followed by an off-balance forehand long across court from Azarenka sees Sharapova sneak ahead at 0-30. A great backhand down the line from the Belarusian forces a forehand long from Sharapova to get one point back while the Russian hits another forehand well, well long, this time down the line, on the second, 30-30. Another error from the Belarusian hands Sharapova break point and this time she does with a whipped backhand winner cross court.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 1-1 - Sharapova absolutely batters an inside-out forehand across court for a winner to level at 30-30 and deny Azarenka an early break point in this final set. That quickly becomes a game point with another cross court winner, this time off the backhand wing. And Sharapova holds when Azarenka nets a very low backhand off a great defensive backhand across court from Sharapova.

SHARAPOVA 6-1 2-6 0-1 - Sharapova very nearly falls on the baseline, her stumble giving Azarenka time to find a cross court forehand drive volley winner to level at 30-30. Sharapova nets a forehand return on the next point before levelling at deuce when Azarenka sends an inside-out backhand wide across court. The Belarusian then has to save a break point, which she does when Sharapova goes wide with a forehand return, and she goes on to hold when Sharapova nets another forehand return.

We are just about ready to get this clash back underway. It will be Azarenka to serve first, with Sharapova having dropped serve to concede the second set, just before the delay.

The players are heading back out on court now. There will be a warm-up with the players having been off court for for nearly 30 minutes.

The covers are coming off although there is no sign of the players just yet. Play should be able to resume soon though.

That's it - play is now officially suspended. We don't know how long for at this stage although the covers are being pulled on by the groundstaff at the moment.