Pierce says "Aurevoir" for another year
By Benjamin Waldbaum
Monday, May 26, 2003
Just like last year, Mary Pierce came into this year's French Open with little
match practice behind her. Unlike last year though, when she nonetheless made
the quarters, she was unable to shake the cobwebs from her game this afternoon
bowing out of the tournament at the very first hurdle. Clarisa Fernandez,
from Argentina, showed no mercy, dispatching the 2000 champion 6/2 6/3 in just
over an hour.
Suzanne-Lenglen court was packed for the much-awaited return of prodigal
daughter Mary Pierce. The fact that the world No46 was taking on last year's
surprise semi finalist added extra spice to an encounter that most experts
expected to be long and tightly fought.
How wrong they were. In a one-way affair, Pierce never managed to raise her
game to former heights and was given the run-around by a far more mobile
opponent.
Returning from a groin injury picked up in Rome, and with just eight victories
in 15 matches this year, she simply lacked the cutting edge to trouble a
player of Fernandez' class. The Argentinean's confidence was reflected in her
serve (four aces, 60 per cent of first serves in) and speed around the court,
which enabled her to manoeuvre her more illustrious opponent into point-losing
positions. Pierce was very soon 0/3 down in the first set and responded by
charging the net in an attempt to destabilise her younger adversary. The
tactic partially worked, as it helped her to win two games, but was not enough
to prevent her losing the set 2/6 in 30 minutes.
Things looked more promising for coach Ren?Moller's prot嶲?at the start of the
second set. She took a 3/1 lead, only to concede five games in a row and hand
victory to her opponent.
So for the first time in her Roland-Garros singles career, Pierce today tasted
bitter first-round defeat, and she struggled to hide her disappointment after
the match: "I wasn't in the game. Clarisa served well. I am very upset. I'm not
discouraged, but this is very tough."
To suffer ignominious first-round failure just three years after her triumph in
the final is a bitter pill to swallow – but Pierce will be back, and she might
achieve glory again were she ever to arrive in Paris on the back of a sustained
period of full fitness.
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有點感傷的報導
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