Serena defeats Sharapova and wins her second Roland Garros title.

CHOOSE YOUR WRISTBAND - There's no one like her! Serena Williams, the world number 1, crowned her excellent form this Saturday with the Roland Garros tournament trophy, the second Grand Slam of the season, defeating last year's champion, Maria Sharapova, who finished second, in the final.

The American defeated the Russian in straight sets, 6-4, 2-0, after a 1 hour and 46 minute match on a packed Philippe Chatrier central court in Paris.

The American has lifted the trophy for the second time, the title she has won the least, repeating the feat for the first time since 2002. This is her 16th Grand Slam trophy in her career, making her the sixth most successful player of all time, very close to Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who each won 18 titles.

Serena confirms her exuberant form with her fifth consecutive title. In addition to Paris, she won the tournaments in Charleston, Miami, Madrid, and Rome, and secured two more Fed Cup victories, bringing her total to 31 consecutive wins. She has 52 career titles and six this season.

For Sharapova, the bitter taste remains of losing her fourth Grand Slam final (she has four titles) and her 14th in 16 matches against the American, whom she hasn't beaten since the end of 2004.

The game

Sharapova started better, went up 2-0 and had chances to confirm and open up a bigger lead. But Serena started to play her powerful game with precision, turning it around to 4-2. Maria fought back, leveled at 4-4, but in the end the American was more effective, closing out the match 6-4 in 51 minutes.

In the second set, Serena broke serve, went up 2-0, and maintained her lead in a match with close games and hard-fought points. Serena was precise, and with her firm shots and serves, she finished well on her own serve to win 6-4, leaving her beaming with happiness.