Paris, France (CNN) -- She's been called "beautiful," "hot" and "sexy" but when it comes to tennis, the most apt description for Maria Sharapova has to be "tough." 

The Russian rallied from a set down three straight times to reach this year's French Open final and then prevailed in Saturday's thrilling three-hour finale against rising star Simona Halep, 6-4 6-7 6-4. 

"This is the toughest grand slam final I've ever played," Sharapova, who was contesting a ninth such match, summed up as she collected her trophy. 

Even after losing the second set and hitting a flurry of double faults, Sharapova still had the edge. 

She's almost a sure thing in third sets on clay, having triumphed 20 times in a row. It's been six years since the 27-year-old was defeated after capturing the first set in a clay-court match, too. 

But if Halep maintains this form, it won't be long before she opens her grand slam account. 

Smaller and with less power than Sharapova, the Romanian nonetheless almost did the unthinkable -- toughing out the now five-time grand slam champion. Her manager, Virginia Ruzici, remains the last Romanian to win a grand slam, in Paris in 1978. 

Sharapova famously uttered in 2007 that she felt like a "cow on ice" playing on clay but the French Open has now become her most productive grand slam -- it's the only one she's won more than once and it's the only one she's won after two serious shoulder injuries in 2008 and 2013. 
How many times has she won in a row in third sets on clay?
She's almost a sure thing in third sets on clay, having triumphed 20 times in a row.