The powerful Pliskova saved three set points to prolong the first set, but Halep mixed up her game superbly and was a set up when her opponent blasted a forehand wide.
Ostapenko, the world No 47, is the first unseeded player to reach the final in Paris since Mima Jausovec in 1983 while the last player to win their debut title at Roland Garros was Gustavo Kuerten on June 8, 1997 - the day Ostapenko was born.
- Latvian Jelena Ostapenko claimed opening set 7-6 (4) against Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the semi-final after each player dropped serve three times during an hour's play on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
A year after losing in the first round at Roland Garros, the 17th-seeded Schiavone became the first woman from Italy to reach a Grand Slam final - and then won the title, too, shortly before turning 30.
Ostapenko fell in the first round on her main draw debut here a year ago but is one win away from becoming the first player since Gustavo Kuerten in 1997 to win their maiden tour-level title at a Slam.
"It is nice to be in the final again, I hope I can play better and win it".
"I'm really happy to be in the final, especially on my birthday".
When Serena Williams announced she was pregnant and when Maria Sharapova was not given a wild card into the French Open, it didn't take a genius to suggest that Simona Halep, the 2014 runner-up, would be the most likely to take the trophy.
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The trio weren't overly explosive with the bat but steadily added to the score, as the Black Caps couldn't find the wickets they desperately needed.
She was in pole position in the second as well but got understandably tight with the finish line in sight, allowing Bacsinszky to level the match. Halep continues to be aggressive with her return and her defense is the reason she's made it this far, as she forces her opponent to hit constant winners if they're going to win the game. This semi-final, I only tried to take the positive things.
The 2017 champion will be a first-time major victor while victory will also crown Halep as the new world number one, replacing Angelique Kerber.
"Then every match I was playing better and better and I got my confidence, and I think it works pretty well".
"I think I would beat 99 per cent of the girls with the way I played today".
Evert questioned which of the last four survivors - Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Timea Bacsinszky or Jelena Ostapenko - would rise to the challenge of winning their first major with so many big names either absent or on the comeback trail.
Ostapenko - who practiced ballroom dancing when younger - signaled her promise in tennis by winning the Wimbledon juniors in 2014.
- Ostapenko took the first set 7-6 (4).
"Bad luck. OK. It's a tough one", Bacsinszky said when she was informed of that margin, her eyes filling with tears. And to put it into context, 50 winners is enough to win two full sets (and the first two points of a third).
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