Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

"She might not have consistently hit the heights with her tennis this fortnight but Maria Sharapova is in the process of willing herself to a Grand Slam title.

"For the third match in a row, she gathered herself with the match on the line in the second set, got hold of her wildly inconsistent serve and hammered her opponent into submission from the baseline.

"Whether it's Simona Halep or Andrea Petkovic across the net in Saturday's final, they will want to try and get it done in straight sets."

Image source, Getty Images

Russian Maria Sharapova speaking on ITV4: "She played an unbelievable match, her level was extremely high and I am just very lucky to be the winner today. I would prefer to win in two sets but she started so well. I have had some very tough matches but you put all the work in so that you feel fresh after three sets.

"Sometimes when you play someone who hasn't been in that situation they can play loose and play really well like my opponent today so sometimes you have to wait for them to slow down."

Bouchard is assured a move up the rankings on the back of her performance in Paris.

Currently 16th in the world, she will climb to 12th when the new standings are announced, or 13th should Andrea Petkovic win the title.

Eugenie Bouchard just about manages to twitch the smile muscles as she greets Maria Sharapova at the net.

The 20-year-old will not be content with matching her last-four appearance from the Australian Open.

Paul Reader:, external I'm sure Sharapova's screaming after every stroke is gamesmanship. Seems so unnecessary to do it that loudly, must put people off.

Simon Jones:, external Bouchard will be a far better player than Sharapova ever was in 5 years time.

Image source, AFP

Finally the great wall of Canada is breached.

Maria Sharapova bellows skywards and is into a third successive French Open final. Bouchard will have to wait for a first Grand Slam final appearance. It won't be long...

Maria Sharapova has a short, powderpuff second serve to look at at 0-30. Eyes as wide as saucers as it sits up in her hitting zone , but the Russian unloads into the net.

Bouchard double-faults on the next point though and is this finally the curtain call at 15-40 and two match points down?

Nope, not quite yet. Bouchard is still hitting bravely and cleanly as she zaps both. Another match point from deuce is knocked down with the old one-two of a serve out wide and a whipped forehand down the line.

Skin of her teeth, quicks of her fingernails. Bouchard is still somehow hanging in the match as she defends a fourth match point.

Eugenie Bouchard's technique is perhaps fraying as the lactic acid and mental strain of two and a half hours of tennis begin to show.

The Canadian's body rotation looks out of sync as she cracks a forehand long at 30-30 and the mind is willing, but the body is a step behind as she concedes the game with an over-eager drive volley long.

Eugenie Bouchard is coming under sustained pressure, but she has dug in and is still within striking distance of parity in the set.

The Canadian finds herself staring at the ugly end of 15-40, but scrapes back both break points, the second only after Maria Sharapova has already set off for her stool thinking she has secured a double break.

Bouchard battles on to take the game. She's one talented trooper.

Image source, AP

What could have been.

Eugenie Bouchard is well set at 30-30, but the fitful Maria Sharapova serve comes up cherries with an ace out wide before the Canadian pushes a forehand wide with a dual carriageway-width strip of court to aim at.

She stands rooted, gazing at where the shot should have gone. She might not get a better opportunity to snatch the break back.

Stephen Ward:, external If Bouchard wins, she'll be favourite for the final. If Sharapova wins does she have enough left in the tank?!

Dan Armstrong:, external Eugenie Bouchard is ridiculously talented.

"Oh I say!"

Eugenie Bouchard hits a magnificent sliding backhand that clears the net cord by a hair's breadth, plops down inside the line by a similar margin and would have had legendary commentator Dan Maskell in raptures.

The Canadian is pegged back from 40-0 to deuce though and suddenly things are a little grim for her.

Maria Sharapova rolls her wrist over a forehand winner to bring up break point, but Bouchard sees it off with a backhand winner of her own.

Both players' radars have locked onto the lines, both looking for the kill early in the rallies. It is Bouchard who falters first, swatting a drive volley into the net to concede break point.

That exquisite shot earlier in the game and 40-0 are a distant memory...

Maria Sharapova looks imperious as she rattles on to 30-0. The first-serve gremlins seem to have been vanquished, but they pop back up as she double-faults to allow Bouchard a sniff of an opening at 30-30.

She coaxes it back onside though as she concludes the game with an ace.

Eugenie Bouchard must be aware that her failure to get the job done in two set will have installed Maria Sharapova as favourite to make the final. She isn't cowed though. She slugs and plugs away to keep a hold of her own serve.

Image source, Reuters

Chris from Tottenham: This Bouchard]girl can play, great to see fight and determination, Sharapova might just have met her match this year.

What is this whirring through the tennis telegraph machine? It's an official statement of intent from Maria Sharapova as she hold to love.

Former British number one Anne Keothavong:, external Into a 3rd we go! Shazza has won 18 straight 3 set matches on clay. Last 3 set loss on clay was at 2010 RG to Henin. I could still be right.

Simon Briggs
Daily Telegraph tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"Now conditioning is going to start to play its part. You don't see too many women's matches which go on beyond two hours and we are already at one hour and 45 minutes"

You can listen to full coverage on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Maria Sharapova stalks stiffly back to her chair. We are into a third and deciding set, the ones she revels in.

After whipping away a forehand to bring up two break and set points, she batters Bouchard into a mistake on the second.

The quality of the play between them deserves a bit of added time.

Image source, AP

Eugenie Bouchard can't turn the thumb screws any tighter as Maria Sharapova wins her first service game since the salad days of moving 5-2 up.

On we rumble and this could get gory with both players up for the fight down the home straight.