Maria
Sharapova thrust herself into the title conversation for Roland Garros as the
Russian hammered Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-4 to win the Rome Masters
with a dismissal of last year's Paris finalist Sunday.

The pair had to
wait out a three-hour rain delay as weather changed for the worse after days of
sunshine at the Foro Italico.

But once play got underway, seventh seed
Sharapova wanted nothing more than to get through as the winner. She did it in
83 minutes, lifting her 23rd career trophy and second on clay.

"I'm so
excited to be champion here," said the semi-finalist twice before in the
capital. "It means so much to me to add this trophy to my others.

"Rome
is such a special place, I really have dreamed of winning here and holding up
this trophy.

"My team has pushed me all the way, this is the beginning of
more good things to come, it's a great start."

The victory improved
Sharapova's record over the 27-year-old Stosur to 8-0. The title was the first
for Sharapova since Strasboug on clay in May, 2010, and followed on from her
losing Miami final six weeks ago.

The inspired Russian raced to a 4-0
lead in 14 minutes, winning 13 of the first 16 points against Stosur, losing
finalist to Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the 2010 French final.

Stosur
got on the scoreboard for 1-4 and surprised the Russian with a break a game
later. But that didn't stop Sharapova from breaking straight back for 5-2 an
serving out the set a game later.

The Russian seed began the second set
with a break, again lost it, but recovered to take a 3-2 lead. From that point,
she was never threatened on the way to her 20th win of the
season.

Sharapova sits in fourth place among active players for titles
won, a table led by Venus Williams n 43 and will move up a spot to seventh in
the world on Monday in the rankings.

In the men's final, unbeaten 37-0
Novak Djokovic wasd facing five- time Rome champion Rafael
Nadal.

Djokovic was likely benefiting from as much rest as possible after
is three-hour late night semi-final victory over Andy Murray.

That
dramatic result kept the Serb's 2011 win streak alive in as the Scot missed on
his chance to serve out a three-set victory and Djokovic won in a
tiebreaker.