Queen Mary Sails On
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Mary Pierce's regal progress through the Ladies' draw continued with her
removal of the 23rd seed, Lisa Raymond, from The Championships, 4-6,
6-3, 7-5.
The contrasting styles of the two players provided plenty of entertainment
for the spectators packed into Court 18. The statuesque figure of Pierce
seemed unhurried while the slighter form of Raymond not only bustled from
point to point, but during each point.
The American's tomboy, loose-limbed figure, fittingly topped off by her
trademark baseball cap, arrived on court determined to make quick work
of her opponent, snatching the first game after five minutes. That break
was quickly negated, only for Pierce to drop serve a second time - but
those opening moments set the scene for the rest of the match.
Pierce, a former world number three currently languishing at 86, is clearly
determined to regain her position back at the top following a series of
injuries that have hampered her over the past few years. Playing her
eighth Wimbledon and a former quarter-finalist (1996), she is remembered
as one of the first of the modern-day glamour girls with a power-game
and was aptly nicknamed "The Body". Now, at 28, she has filled out a
bit more but retains her appeal as she strides around the court as if
she owned it.
The power of her strokes came to the fore during the second set when
not only her big forehand came into play, but her serve gained some
consistency. Then the balance swung her way as she romped into a 3-0
lead, a lead she maintained successfully as errors crept into the
Raymond game, especially on the volley, which was surprising considering
she is a world-class doubles player.
Having levelled the match at a set-all, the unruffled Pierce took a
comfort break and, on her return, serenely picked up where she left off,
striking her forehand with increasing power from and to all points of
the court. She increased her approaches to the net and even adopted
a serve and volley approach to keep her opponent off balance.
The exchanges became lengthier as the pressure mounted on both players.
Finally Raymond's nerve broke in the 11th game when she sliced her
backhand wide. Pierce needed no second chance, striking her ninth ace on
her first match point and bringing to a close an intriguing two-hour,
two-minute contest.
"It was a battle," Pierce admitted later. "She is a tough opponent on
grass and I wasn't feeling quite settled in at the beginning. But in
the second and third I tried to stay calm and become more relaxed."
Pierce, who now meets the Fench Open champion, Justine Henin Hardenne,
a former Wimbledon finalist, conceded that she still has some way to go
as regards her own fitness.
"Physically I'm not in the shape that I've been in during my career, I
didn't realise how bad things had got when I took all that time off with
my injury."
She also revealed that she nearly didn't come to Wimbledon this year.
"After Roland Garros I took some time off to think about things. I had a
lot of discussions and took things day by day and eventually decided to
come here and play without any expectations - I am using this as part
of the process of me getting back to the level I want to be at. I'm just
taking things match by match."
Written by Henry Wancke
Court 18 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round
Lisa Raymond USA (23) 6 3 5
Mary Pierce FRA 4 6 7
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啊，吾的焦躁表現得那麼明顯嗎？
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