TENNIS in DEPTH.

Maria Sharapova captured her second title of 2010 with a straight-set victory over Germany’s Kristina Barrois in the final of the Strasbourg International.

The top-seeded Sharapova rallied from a deficit in the first set before rolling in the second to complete a 7-5, 6-1 triumph. She notched her 22nd career WTA Tour title and second in her last four events, having captured the Memphis tournament back in February.

Sharapova has played just five events this year because of elbow problems. She was a first-round loser to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko at the Australian Open and lost in the first round to Lucie Safarova last week in Madrid before finishing her French Open prep work with a solid week of play.

The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champ will be the 12th seed at the French Open with a first-round match against qualifier Ksenia Pervak. Sharapova was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros last year and has also reached the semifinals once, but the French is the only Grand Slam that has eluded her.

In her first career WTA final, Barrois held a 4-2 lead in the first set, then won only two more games. Sharapova completely dominated the second set, winning 25 of the 34 points played.

Prior to this week, Barrois hadn’t been past the second round in any event this year. She’ll play Italy’s Tathiana Garbin in the first round at the French Open.

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