Open thread for the women’s final between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova struggled in a scream queen stand-off against No. 3 Victoria Azarenka, eventually prevailing 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, while Serena muscled past No. 5 Sara Errani 6-0, 6-1.

Djokovic put down a challenge from No. 12 seed and near-AARP member Tommy Haas 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5, while Nadal ran through the hot-handed No. 9 seed Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in matches inexplicably scheduled at the same time at Roland Garros.

“I started to feel pain, like a knife below my ribs,” said Errani who struggled with an odd injury during the match. “Every time I was breathing it was very painful. It wasn’t muscular, but I couldn’t stay up. So I called the physio and she told me I had my diaphragm totally blocked. She tried to release it a bit, and then after that it was much better.”

Tommy Haas held it together to outlast John Isner in a thriller at the French Open.

Federer, who next meets the No. 15 seed Simon who has been tested in long matches, was also on the energy-conserving tip.

Needing a wildcard to get into the event, the former Top 10er took a 2-0 sets lead on No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych, then held on to defeat the Czech 7-5 in the fifth set.

The younger Williams sister is the top seed, and opens against Anna Tatishvili. Her stiffest opposition will come…I don’t know, never? Maybe Maria Sharapova or Victoria Azarenka in the final, two players she rolls on red clay. Yawn.

Four of the biggest stars in tennis gathered Thursday night in Paris for a quick exhibition.

Rafael Nadal survived another tight affair with Ernests Gulbis today in Rome.