After Injury Timeouts, Pierce Bounces Back to Reach Finals
by Erin Bruehl
Friday, September 9, 2005
After dropping the first set in her semifinal match vs. Elena Dementieva,
No. 12 Mary Pierce required two injury timeouts as trainers tended to both
her thigh and back. For 12 minutes, trainers massaged her lower back and
taped her right thigh. However, instead of being hampered by her injuries,
Pierce came back stronger, taking the next two sets to defeat No. 6
Dementieva, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium and advance to her
first US Open final.
Dementieva was in control early, breaking Pierce in the opening game.
Her serve, usually a liability, caused few problems for the Russian as
she double-faulted just once in the first set. She used her great speed
to move around the court well and committed just five unforced errors in
the opening set as Pierce struggled with her serve early.
However, after the 12 minute lapse, Dementieva seemed to lose her rhythm.
After not being broken once in the opening set, Pierce broke her in the
third game of the second set and by the end of the fourth game, Dementieva
already had six unforced errors for the set. Pierce broke again in the
seventh game and then held in the eighth to even it at one set apiece.
Dementieva said that it was her own mistakes that cost her, not the
timeout, but still was not happy that the break lasted 12 minutes.
"I think, you can change the game around by winning unbelievable point
or by changing the rhythm," Dementieva said. "I mean, that's the fair
point. But by taking like 12 minutes time out, I don't think it was a
fair play, but she could do it, I mean, by the rules. And she did it.
If that's the way, you know if that's the only way she can beat me, I
mean, it's up to her."
Pierce, however, said her back had been bothering her since the beginning
of the match and that she had previously injured her leg in her quarterfinal
match vs. Amelie Mauresmo. She insisted she took the timeouts strictly to
treat very real injuries.
"I believe at this level where we're playing, we're all very good players,
we're all very mentally strong," she said. "I had injuries that I needed
to attend to to help me. I was hoping that would help, that I could play
better, and it did. I just needed to do what I needed to do for my body
and that was really it."
Both Dementieva and Pierce had excelled in three-set matches on the year.
Dementieva had a 15-3 record, including a three-set upset win over Lindsay
Davenport in the quarterfinals. Pierce was 3-0 in three sets on the year
and 5-0 for her career in Grand Slam semifinal matches.
Dementieva seemed to regain her form in the opening game of the third set,
holding her serve with an ace and several impressive winners down the lines.
But Pierce broke her in the third game and hit a stride as she more
consistently got her first serve over - 81 percent in the third set to
65 percent for the match - and was hitting the corners with her shots.
Dementieva began to unravel, committing 19 of her 32 unforced errors in
the third set and four of her six double faults. Pierce won five straight
games in third, until Dementieva held her serve in the seventh. With her
fourth ace, Pierce then set up match point in the eighth and won it when
a Dementieva shot sailed wide.
Pierce is seeking her third Grand Slam title, having won the Australian
Open in 1995 and at Roland Garros in 2000.
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/reports/2005-09-09/200509091126298267294.html
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