Schiavone downs Stosur in Paris final

PARIS, June 5 (UPI) -- Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title Saturday, defeating Australian Samantha Stosur in the French Open final.

Schiavone used a strong serve to keep Stosur on the run in the first set and then rallied after falling behind 4-1 in the second frame to rack up her fourth career championship 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

Schiavone -- whose achievement also marked the first appearance of an Italian woman in any Grand Slam final -- gained momentum after she countered an attempted drop shot at 2-2 in the second-set tiebreaker, then poured it on to grab the French Open crown on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris.

The win was her first in six career meetings against the No. 7 seed Stosur, who committed 28 unforced errors in the match.

The Australian was also playing in her first Grand Slam final and was vying to give her nation its first female Grand Slam champion since Evonne Goolagong's Wimbledon victory in 1980.

Stosur had reached the finals in impressive fashion, scoring victories over Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic.