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Maria Sharapova yesterday battled back from a set down once again to see off the challenge of Eugenie Bouchard and book her place in a third consecutive French Open final.

Sharapova, the 2012 champion and last year's runner-up to Serena Williams,  lost the first set as she did in her quarter-final victory over Garbine Muguruza and her last 16 win over Samantha Stosur.

She will play Simona Halep, who beat Andrea Petkovic 6-2 7-6(4) in 90 minutes to reach her first grand slam final.

There must have been no doubts that Sharapova would handle the pressure after she reeled off nine games in a row to finish off Stosur and crushed Muguruza 6-1 in the final set last  Tuesday.

Indeed, she again managed to turn things around, finally ending Bouchard's challenge with her fifth match point to triumph 4-6 7-5 6-2 in two hours and 27 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Sharapova took eight of the last 10 games against Bouchard and remarkably has now won 19 straight three-set matches on clay.