2010 French Open finals (39 images)
PARIS, June 7 (UPI) -- A familiar face -- Rafael Nadal -- and a new Grand Slam champion -- Francesca Schiavone -- claimed the 2010 French Open singles titles.
Nadal defeated Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday's men's finals in collecting his fifth French Open title in six years. The win also boosted Nadal back to the No. 1 position in the world men's rankings, costing Roger Federer a chance to tie Pete Sampras's record for weeks as the world's top-ranked player.
It was Nadal's seventh Grand Slam title overall and he's been No. 1 for 48 weeks -- 11th on the all-time chart for weeks at the top.
As familiar as Nadal is in that situation, Schiavone is a new name. She's been on the WTA tour since 1998 but a year ago she was ranked No. 50 and had only three tour titles before Saturday's 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) victory over Samantha Stosur in the French Open women's final.
She'd never advanced beyond a Grand Slam quarterfinal before she beat third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in that round last week. She lost one set in her title run -- the first set of her first-round match.
The win also propelled her into the women's Top 10 for the first time in her career, moving her from 17th to sixth in Monday's rankings.
Wimbledon, the year's third tennis major tournament, begins in two weeks.
