Nothing is impossible!  This was the phrase on the t-shirt worn by Francesca Schiavone’s family and friends today in the French Open final.  Schiavone proved the axiom by surprising Samantha Stosur 6-4, 7-6 to grab her first career major.  Moreover, Schiavone stenciled her name in history by becoming the first Italian female to prevail at a major.

With a deep and low backhand pass, Schiavone caused Stosur to hit the next stroke long.  As a result, the Italian had double break point in third game of the second set.  However, with a three winners and an unreturnable serve, Stosur guarded serve for 2-1.  Then, by punishing second serves, Stosur had her first break point of the day with a forehand up the line winner. Stosur capitalized when Schiavone’s forehand up the line failed.  Promptly, Stosur consolidated with a love game for 4-1.  Following a quick hold, Schiavone produced a backhand return winner crosscourt, a forehand winner and made Stosur err with the backhand to arrive at love-40.  Later, by stabbing at a superb serve, Schiavone got a miscue on a short forehand from Stosur to get back on serve at 3-4.  Despite the mounting pressure, Schiavone remained aggressive and comfortably maintained serve.  Eventually, the set was settled in a tiebreaker.  Schiavone secured a mini-break for 3-2 by tracking Stosur’s dropshot and converting a backhand up the line winner.  The Italian extended her lead to 5-2 with a forehand volley winner and forehand crosscourt winner.  Subsequently, with a crosscourt backhand volley winner, Schiavone obtained a second mini-break and four championship points.  When Stosur’s stroke off the return traveled out of play, Schiavone bagged the second set and the French Open trophy.  Schiavone rejoiced by painting her lips red with a clay kiss, duplicating this jubilant sign she had shown in the quarters and semis.

Stosur, the world number 7 and 2009 semifinalist, had a 12-2 record coming into Paris.  The titlist in Charleston and the runner-up in Stuttgart to Justine Henin, Stosur was sizzling.  In the round of 16, after dropping the first set, Stosur roared back to defeat Henin, the four time French Open champion.  In the quarterfinals, after a hiccup in the second set, Stosur salvaged match point by Serena Williams to triumph in overtime in the third.  Moreover, in the semifinals, the Aussie pulverized Jelena Jankovic to earn her first berth in a final at a major.  After demolishing a bevy of current and former world number one, with a 4-1 record against Schiavone, even beating the Italian last year at Roland Garros and in the finals in Osaka for her maiden WTA tour title, all arrows pointed in Stosur’s favor.  Perhaps, the onus of trying to become the first Aussie female since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980 to hoist the big prize at a major was too much for Stosur.

Schiavone, ranked 17, had been a three time quarterfinalist at a major including Roland Garros in 2001.   After a title in Barcelona to beginning her clay season, Schiavone exited early in Stuttgart, Rome and Madrid, entering Paris with an 8-3 record.  Schiavone struggled in the opening round, losing the first set to Regina Kulikova ranked 70th , before pulling through.  But, in the third round, Schiavone dismissed Na Li.  In the round of 16, Schiavone dispatched Maria Kirilenko who had ousted defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.  In the quarterfinals, Schiavone befuddled Wozniacki, winning in straight sets to become the first Italian woman to advance to the semifinals at a major.  Lastly, after taking the first set tiebreaker, Schiavone got a pass to the finals when a calf injury forced Elena Dementieva to throw in the towel.  With this win, on Monday, Schiavone catapults to number 6 in the rankings while Stosur will maintain in the number 7 spot.

When it comes to the women’s tour, one’s odds of hitting the center on the dart board are far better than accurately prognosticating, particularly on clay.  All the so-called favorites, Dementieva, Serena, Jankovic, Henin and Stosur were disappointed.  Today, Schiavone proved once again on any given day, at any given age, Schiavone is 18 day shy of her 30th birthday, even at a major, an improbable champion can be born.

Williams had been supreme this week, winning all her matches in straight sets.  In the quarters, Williams defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who had beaten her two times in a row.  From the first game, Williams was impressive with a forehand crosscourt winner for 40-0.  Serving at one all, Venus crushed a backhand down the line pass to hold for 2-1.  After a love game for 3-2, Williams forced Azarenka into two forehand errors for double break point.  Venus was gifted a double fault for 4-2.  However, serving for the set at 5-3, Venus committed two double faults.  Then, with a forehand crosscourt winner by Azarenka, Williams faced break point.  Yet again, Williams rifled some big serves to bail herself out, thereby carrying the set.

Still on the attack, Venus provoked Victoria into a couple of backhand miscues for double break point to open the second set.  Williams captured the break when Azarenka made her third consecutive backhand mistake.  With a couple of forehand winners, Venus easily took the next game.  Serving at 0-2, Azarenka missed a lob and went down 15-30.  Under pressure, Azarenka produced a couple of forehand winners to maintain a single break deficit.  With Williams consistent on the forehand side, Azarenka could make no headway.  But, Victoria’s opportunity finally arrived at 2-3 when Venus muffed a couple of strokes squandering two game points.  Afterwards, Williams double faulted giving Azarenka break point.  Victoria cashed in when Venus’ forehand sailed long.

The next game, despite Azarenka’s first serve letting her down, she held for 4-3.  The following few games, each woman guarded serve without complication.  However, at 5 all, Azarenka found danger.  By Venus chasing down every ball, Azarenka’s backhand coughed up errors leading to double break point.  With a forehand up the line winner, Williams grabbed a 6-5 edge.  After Azarenka saved two match points, Williams had a third with an Azarenka backhand miscue.  With two net courts in the same rally going in Venus’ favor, she sealed the title when Victoria dumped a volley into the net.

Venus congratulated Victoria for an outstanding performance, particularly in the second set.  Besides Justine Henin, Williams is the only woman to defend successfully in Dubai.  When asked if she looked forward to claiming another major this year, Venus replied “absolutely”.  Still, Williams recognized that the lower tier tournaments are the building block for success on the bigger stages.  Therefore,  Williams injected “I am eager to keep adding every title I can”.

Although Serena Williams and Dinara Safina sat out this event due to injury, the results this week accent the absence of a dominant female.  Top seed and world number three, Caroline Wozniacki, was ousted in the third round by world 22nd Shahar Peer.  Later, Peer bested new world number 10, Na Li to advance to the semifinals.  Confined to the outside courts for security reasons, Peer was stopped in the semifinals by Williams.  Second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova fell in the third round to qualifier Regina Kulikova while Elena Dementieva, the fifth seed, retired in the third round with a shoulder injury after dropping the first set.  Jelena Jankovic, the sixth seed, continues to struggle with a straight sets exit in the quarterfinals.