Q. How does it feel to have a chance to lift the trophy again?
MARY PIERCE: Unbelievable. It's fantastic feeling, you know. I'm very happy.
Very excited. And, you know, what can I say? It's just fantastic.
Q. Do you feel you're playing as well now as you were five years ago?
MARY PIERCE: You know, it's hard to say. I can't really compare because
tennis now is different than it was before and I played against different
girls. You know, I'm a different person and a different player than five
years ago.
So I just feel that now, you know, I'm doing what I need to do to win match
by match.
Q. What would another Grand Slam victory mean to you?
MARY PIERCE: That would be unbelievable. I mean, I'd probably just sit here
and not know what to say. It would just be unbelievable.
Q. Does it seem like a fairytale that you're living at the moment?
MARY PIERCE: No, not at all. Because I've worked very hard. You know, I
believe in myself, and the few people that believe in me that I have in my
life have really helped me a lot to get where I am. And, you know, that's
why I'm here today, is because I had something inside of me when I had my
injuries that was telling me, "You know, you're not done. There's still
something for you do in tennis, still some things for you to accomplish,
still some things for you to accomplish in tennis."
I don't know what that meant. I don't still know what that means today. It
could be the results on the court; it could be something else. You know, I
just listened to that. That just proves, you know, to never really doubt
yourself and that voice inside, really.
Q. Can you talk about how you're a different person today than you were
five years ago, and maybe also past five years ago, look back to when you
were in the final here, eleven years ago?
MARY PIERCE: Wow, eleven.
Five years ago, you know, I think I was probably, you could say, at the top
of my game. Physically at 25 years old, you know, you're not too young where
you don't have any experience and you're not too old where physically you
recover pretty well. I was playing good tennis. I wasn't at my best yet,
though. Still had some good experience already behind me.
And then my first final here in '94 was ?? my first final, so nervous.
Couldn't sleep the night before. I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, my French isn't
that great and I have to do a French in speech. What am I going to say?" I
kept thinking that more than my match, you know, just so nervous.
I had beaten Aranxta already earlier on clay. I was kind of thinking, "I
could really do this." So that was the inexperienced player.
But the fearless player, I just was kind of out there and just going for
every ball. I think it's good to have a mix of both.
Q. Who are you today?
MARY PIERCE: Good question. No, just kidding.
I, you know, just ?? I mean, I'm just like everybody else. I just play
tennis. You know, you guys are journalists, and I work hard and I do the
best that I can every day on the court and also off the court. You know,
I have a lot of experience behind me on the court and off the court as well.
And just a lot of ups and downs like life in general.
I just keep on persevering and believing in myself and keep working hard.
You know, there's no secrets. Hard work always pays off, sooner or later.
Q. The normal numbers that people crunch and look at before a tournament ?
the rankings, the age of the players and all that ? go out the window with
this final. I mean, you're the oldest since Navratilova to be in a final.
What does it mean, what does it say about the heart of a champion, whether
it's you or Justine, what she's overcome, what you've gone through? What
does it say about that that go beyond the numbers?
MARY PIERCE: Well, I think it's a beautiful story. I think it's a great
thing, you know. Look at what Justine has been through, you know. She's
awesome. Like, you know, I really appreciate her and admire as a person
and also as a player. She's accomplished so many things in her career and
she's a great woman off the court as well.
And, you know, what I've been through ?? I think I'm losing what I was gonna
say (laughing). What was your question?
Q. The numbers don't matter.
MARY PIERCE: Yes. Once you get to the top of the game, there's tons of girls
now that can play really great tennis, we've got at least ten, maybe more,
that can win a tournament any week. So when you come down to it, it's more
the mental part of the game, and being able to deal with those things. And
it's the little things that make the big difference at the top.
Q. Your record against Justine is not that strong. Can you kind of look
ahead to Saturday and what you're thinking and maybe how you might change
things. I know you don't want to give away any secrets to Justine, but...
MARY PIERCE: Yeah, I don't think I've beaten Justine before. Last time I
played her was at the Olympics, I think, and I lost 4 and 4 and that was
on hard courts.
It was a close match. I played a good match. There was only one break of
serve in each set. That was it, really. This is not hard courts; this is
clay courts. So it will be a different match. It's later now. I'm feeling
a lot fitter and I'm playing better. You know, it's definitely going to be
a really tough match. It's going to be a really exciting match. It's going
to be a lot of fun.
I almost really couldn't ask for anything better, to be playing against
Justine in the finals. It's going to be fantastic. Great test for me. She's
one of the best players in the game right now.
I've had nothing to lose, like I've had nothing to lose in the last few
matches. I'm really just going to enjoy it ? enjoy being on the court,
enjoy every moment; the crowd cheering for me; my family supporting me.
It's the last match and I'm going to give everything that I have.
Q. Who's here with you and have you talked to your parents yet today? One
last question, did you ever consider retiring from tennis? Did you come
close to that?
MARY PIERCE: My brother, like who's with me as in family?
Q. Yes.
MARY PIERCE: My brother, and then I have an aunt, that lives close by on
my mom's side, and a cousin, his wife.
Q. Still coaching you?
MARY PIERCE: My brother's my coach, uh?hmm. I have not yet talked to my
parents, but I'm sure I have messages waiting for me. I haven't had a
chance yet.
Q. And did you ever think of retiring?
MARY PIERCE: Oh, retiring. That was never a desire of mine, but it did cross
my mind. Only the reason because from my back injury, when I was coming back,
it hurt again and then I had to stop again. The doctors weren't really able
to tell me if I was ever going to not have pain, how much pain, when it
would come, when it would go and why.
So I really was like, "Hmm, maybe I won't be able to ever play again." I
wasn't sure.
So that's why I really appreciate things much more now, you know. Even all
the little things, every day, day in and day out, about what I do, I just
love it.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.
Q. You said that you were soaring like an eagle earlier. Is there another
expression today to explain how you feel?
MARY PIERCE: Yes. Today there's another phrase, "Keep your eyes on the
prize." I don't know how to say it in French, but you just have to keep
your objective in sight.
Q. You look as though you're somebody who takes your time and is trying
to fight speed in life and on the court. Is this very important for you,
to be following your own pace?
MARY PIERCE: Yes, it's important for everybody. We all have our own rhythm,
our own pace. For some, the pace is more or less fast. For me, it's fairly
slow. I like to take my time. I like to be calm and not be in a hurry. Be
relaxed. That's the way I am.
Q. And this is the ideal rhythm for you now, the ideal pace?
MARY PIERCE: No. I'm always in a hurry to play my matches, come back, to
recover. But I try and keep calm within myself inside.
Q. You have to keep your objective in sight. Can you imagine what it will
be to hold up the trophy on Saturday?
MARY PIERCE: No, not at all. Maybe tomorrow night before I go to sleep or
Saturday morning, but I'm going to really rest both physically and mentally.
I'll think about it later.
Now, I just want to enjoy the moment.
Q. Of all you've been doing, what has given you most joy?
MARY PIERCE: What do you mean by "all"? Tennis? Outside tennis?
Q. Yes, all, anything.
MARY PIERCE: Well, a lot of things. When I come back home and I hear the
raindrops or when I see my dogs playing together, there are a lot of things,
kissing people I love. Plenty of things.
Q. Justine and you have had your ups and downs. What kind of strengths does
this type of destiny bring to a player like you?
MARY PIERCE: I think it makes you want things more, and I think you cope
with things differently. You enjoy things more. When you win, it tastes
even better than before.
Q. Today you were a favorite in this semifinal. Does this give you a special
type of pressure?
MARY PIERCE: No, not at all, not any different from the other days and other
matches. She ranks better than me, so on the paper she should have won. But
in Berlin I beat her very easily.
But I know that this is a different match, we're in the semifinals of a Grand
Slam, and she's playing very well. So I wasn't thinking that I was going to
win or lose, I just played point by point and did my best.
Q. You played two difficult matches: Zvonareva and Patty Schnyder. These
were really tight matches, and probably they required the most effort from
you. Then you defeat very quickly the No. 1, world No. 1, and Likhovtseva.
What does that mean, that you're even more relaxed, confident?
MARY PIERCE: No, I think that in the beginning of a tournament you always
start a bit slowly and you get used to the courts, the balls, the
environment. And then the players get better and better.
Zvonareva for me was a true test. It was my first test in the tournament,
and I managed it very well and it was a very hard match to play. It was very
physical, and she has a very different type of tennis game than from
Davenport and Likhovtseva as well.
Q. After each match you have a rest day. Do you manage to totally disconnect,
because your brother David was saying that you try to keep totally
disconnected. Do you not think about matches? Or do you still think
about them?
MARY PIERCE: Well, I think I do a bit of both. I try during the first part
of the day not to come here and do something else; and then in the afternoon
I come here and I get back into the atmosphere and the environment.
Q. How are your abductors and your ankle doing for this semifinal and this
final?
MARY PIERCE: Well, yes, I'm still here, so there you are (smiling).
Q. What are you expecting from this final? What do you think the winning
points will be, because you both have experience and you have half the
public supporting you?
MARY PIERCE: Well, Belgium is not far, but we're still in France. Justine
is a girl I have still not defeated. She plays very well. It's going to be
a very tough match. She's very aggressive. She's got everything. She goes up
to the net; she's got a good serve. She's got a good forehand, backhand.
I will just have to play my own game, as usual. Be focused. Be concentrated
on what I have to do. And we'll see for the rest.
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