Pierce Prevails Over Mauresmo in French Fracas
by Mike Dempsey
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Mary Pierce started her very own French revolution at the USTA Tennis
Center, toppling Amelie Mauresmo, No. 3 in the world and reigning French
tennis darling.
The No. 12 seed Pierce took out Mauresmo, 6-4, 6-1, in just over an hour,
becoming the second French woman ever to appear in a US Open semifinal
since 1968. Mauresmo was the first, getting there in 2002.
Mauresmo had not dropped a set in the Open heading into this quarterfinal
match and Pierce had not beaten her fellow Frenchwoman since 1999. Those
factors combined to paint this match-up as a pit stop for Mauresmo, on her
way to a semifinal showdown with the winner of Lindsay Davenport versus
Elena Dementieva. Now it is Pierce who will be moving on.
"You know, I'm really happy to be in the semifinals," said Pierce when
asked about her next opponent. "This is the best that I've done at the
US Open in my career, which I think is amazing. I'm just really happy,
so, you know, anybody I play, I'll be looking forward to it. I'll be
excited. I'll be giving everything that I have.
The battle for French supremacy began with both Mary Pierce and Amelie
Mauresmo refusing to give ground. Not only did they stay on serve until
3-2, neither player was able to take a point off the other's serve for
the first three games.
Mauresmo charged the net with great success in the ninth game of the
first set, winning the first three points with aggressive charm. She
then watched Pierce cling to her serve and force a deuce before Mauresmo
broke her.
The powerful Mauresmo was so commanding at the net, converting 100 percent
of her charges, it was a wonder she did not charge more often.
Mauresmo offered an opinion on why Pierce is moving on and she is not.
"I think she just played a better match than me today. She just played
better tennis," said Mauresmo. "She's hitting the ball very well for few
months now, we know that, and she's moving better and better and serving
very well also."
The Pierce fan club grew and grew with each game that she won, eventually
drowning out Mauresmo's backers. This was Pierce's 13th appearance at the
Open and 50th time in a Grand Slam for her career.
Pierce's quest for the Open crown has the backing of raucous New York fans,
but she still has to get through either Davenport or Dementieva in her next
match and Kim Clijsters or Maria Sharapova in the final.
The match began with a smattering of Pierce supporters giving their
full-throated cheers for the 2000 French Open champion. One fan offered
a more personal form of encouragement: "C'mon, Mary, I still love you."
Pierce needs to hope that the tennis gods feel the same way as she attempts
to win her third Grand Slam title. With many of women's tennis' big names
in her way she is going to need all the help she can get.
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/reports/2005-09-07/200509071126122065737.html
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 140.112.234.152