No regrets from Sharapova after Paris defeat

PARIS: Her French Open title ripped away from her, a fourth defeat in a Grand Slam final and a 13th straight loss to Serena Williams, but Maria Sharapova says she will leave Paris with no regrets.

That was the Russian's mindset in the wake of her 6-4, 6-4 loss to the American in the final at Roland Garros on a day where she could have led 3-0 in the first set and battled her way back to 4-4 in the second, but in the end failed to grab her chances.

Sharapova started the match a clear underdog against a player who had run up a career-best 30 match win streak and who had been playing some of the finest tennis seen in the women's game in years.

But after an early barrage from the American she was the first to nose ahead and had two break points on her own serve to lead 3-0 only to see the American win the next four games.

Then in the second set she looked down and out at 4-2 and break point against her but battled back to be level at 4-4 before Williams put the match away.

Sharapova will now turn her attentions to the grasscourts of Wimbledon where she first made her Grand Slam breakthrough in 2004 as a 17-year-old, defeating the then dominant Serena Williams in straight sets.

Since then she has reached the semi-finals twice and lost the 2011 final to Petra Kvitova and she fancies her chances of doing well this year and perhaps winning a fifth Grand Slam title. (AFP)