Hello all, and welcome to our live blog of the French Open women's final between the third seed and former Roland Garros junior champion Simona Halep and the unseeded 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko.
If sporting rivalries are added intrigue by contrasting styles, then we should be in for a belting final. Aside from Eastern European backgrounds - Halep is from Romania and Ostapenko is Latvian - these two really could not be more different.
Halep, 25, is the polished clay-courter with delightful touch and feel, Steffi Graf-esque movement, and an all-round game that should really have carried her to a grand slam title by now. Despite carrying an ankle injury, she came into the tournament as the favourite, and although there have been a few hiccups along the way - not least trailing a set and 1-5 to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-final and then facing a match point - Halep has looked every inch the champion-elect.
Crucially, with the help of coach Darren Cahill, Halep has kept her suspect temperament (see below) under control, and claimed to be so in the moment against Svitolina that she did not even realise she was facing a match point. Incidentally a win today will not only carry Halep to her first grand slam, it will also take he to world No 1 for the first time ever.
Halep* 1-1 Ostapenko (*next server) - Halep breaks back
Halep looks understandably a bit miffed by that unceremonious service break, and she smacks away a forehand return winner for 0-15. Two forehand errors from Ostapenko follow, and it's three break back points for Halep at 0-40. The Latvian saves a couple, but she then sends a forehand wide to hand the break straight back.
We're back on serve, and the pattern looks to be set - Ostapenko will either scream away a winner or go for too much and make an unforced error.
Halep 2-1 Ostapenko* (*next server)
Ostapenko grew frustrated by the retrieval skills of Timea Bacsinszky on Thursday, but the Swiss player's defensive skills are nothing compared to Halep's. The Romanian is scuttling around the court with unbelievable speed, and she draws a few more errors from Ostapenko to wrap up a love hold.
Halep* 2-2 Ostapenko (*next server)
Very few nerves on show from Ostapenko, who unleashes on a couple more howitzer forehands. One in particular draws gasps from the Roland Garros crowd as it flies over the high part of the net for a winner up the line. It helps the Latvian to a comfortable hold to 15.