Published: Today at 16:02
THIS meant so much to Maria Sharapova.
So much in fact that the 25 year-old didn’t think twice about slumping, knee first onto the red dirt of court Phillipe Chatrier when the game was up.
You don’t do that sort of thing unless you’re consumed with happiness.
And Sharapova has every right to be over the moon. And then some.
Shazza’s 6-3 6-2 win over the battling but ultimately overpowered Italian Sara Errani sealed her route back to the top of women’s tennis.
It also helped bag a career Grand Slam.
But it was perhaps made all the more special considering the debilitating shoulder injury, which looked to have stalled her career for good.
Sharapova, the new women's No1, said: "It's a magnificent moment in my career. I'm really speechless. It's been such a journey to get to this stage.
"I have so many people to thank, especially my wonderful team. But most importantly my mother and father.
"They're my rock, they keep me together and they've kept me going through all the tough times and the good times."
Her last Major came way back in Australia in 2008 — and her injury problems looked to have left her with just the memories.
But she has been on fire this season, winning titles on clay in Stuttgart and Rome on a surface once so alien she described herself as like a cow on ice.
Little Errani, the 21st seed, had worked wonders to get this far and , understandably, was full of nerves early on.
She was broken twice and fell 4-0 down. It was looking a total mismatch but the Italian is a real fighter.
She pulled it back to 53 and had some chances but just couldn’t get the better of the Russian.
Errani was broken in the very first game of the second set and from then on it became hard to see any other outcome.
The Italian was hanging in, saving two match points but unable to stop Sharapova from landing her fourth Slam with the third.
Shazza now heads to the green, green grass of Wimbledon hoping to land glory in SW19 just like she did as a 17 year-old.
Don’t bet against her.
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