Maria Sharapova Needs Someone to Upset Serena Williams to Lift French Open Hopes

The only chance Maria Sharapova has of repeating as French Open champion is if one of her peers takes out Serena Williams.

Williams owns Maria Sharapova on every surface. They could play on the moon and Williams would win in two sets. 

In their career series, Williams has won 13 of the 15 matches played. Sharapova hasn't beaten her nemesis since 2004 and she's never beaten her on clay in three attempts. 

Fortunately for Sharapova, the earliest the two women could meet is the finals.

There will be ample time for Williams to be upset. However, judging by the way she's played leading up to the French Open, as well as the two tune-ups in Madrid and Charleston, she may be on one of her unstoppable runs.

Williams smashed Anna Tatishvili 6-0, 6-1 in her first-round match to keep her momentum going.

Sharapova had a similarly easy time with Su-Wei Hsieh (6-1, 6-2) on Monday, but if both Williams and Sharapova are at the top of their games, the advantage still goes to Williams.

If you're looking at the players who have the best shot at knocking Williams off, Sharapova should probably be rooting the hardest for Angelique Kerber.

The 25-year-old is seeded eighth in the second group of the women's draw. She could be Williams' semifinal opponent if they both advance that far.

Kerber does own a win over Williams in Feb. 2012. Williams has won their other two meetings, but the one recent win gives Kerber some hope.

On the flip side, Sharapova has defeated Kerber four of the five times they've met. Most recently, she bested the German in April in front of her countrymen in Stuttgart.

Having Williams fall to an opponent Sharapova has had success against is the ideal situation for the latter. Obviously, both women would have to avoid slip-ups en route to another meeting.

But if the tournament plays out in chalk fashion with the top seeds, Sharapova will again be watching Williams celebrate at her expense.

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