Pierced THROUGH THE HEART

Two European television commentators are discussing Mary Pierce and her relationship with France, her adopted country, during her third-round victory Friday against Virginie Razzano, a 17-year-old French native who still wears braces.

“You have to know her to understand her,” said one commentator.

Advantage, Pierce.

“After all, you can’t be liked by everybody,” said the other.

Disadvantage, Pierce.

The fans here at the French Open are still trying to understand Pierce, let alone know her. It’s hard: There is the Pierce who once lost only 10 games in reaching the French Open final in 1994, including a one-sided match against Steffi Graf that made Graf look like a tourist.

Then there are losses to Barbara Rittner (1996) and Magui Serna (1998).

The latter match, in particular, drew a harsh response from the fans at Roland Garros--jeers and whistles. If Pierce could have been relegated, like a bad soccer team, the crowd would have been ready to send her to the satellite circuit.

So many stories have been written about the New Mary, her better attitude, her changed outlook on life. She is like the female Agassi, in a sense. Just as the new Andre battles the old Andre, as much can be said about Pierce, even at only 25 years old.

Example I: Pierce wins the event at Hilton Head in April, losing only 12 games in five matches, defeating Monica Seles, 6-1, 6-1, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 6-1, 6-0.

Example II: Pierce loses her first match last week in Madrid, 6-4, 6-4, to qualifier Germana Di Natale of Italy. Subsequently, Pierce leaves town and misses a scheduled media commitment.

Days later, Pierce says she forgot about the interview and apologizes profusely. Twice. She is gracious, relaxed and in control--on and off the court. Suddenly, for her, the French Open is looking a lot like 1994. In three matches, the sixth-seeded Pierce has lost a mere eight games and will play Asa Carlsson of Sweden on Sunday in the fourth round.

Longtime associates say Pierce is happier than ever. Sitting in the players’ lounge at Roland Garros, she smiles and nods at that information.

“Everybody has it inside,” she said. “You just have to open up and let it in. There’s a few different things in my life. I just really feel at peace.”

How did she get there?

Pierce doesn’t hesitate.

“My relationship with Roberto, of course,” she said. “It’s just one of the last pieces of the puzzle. He understands what I do, someone to talk to, that supports you.”

Roberto is Roberto Alomar of the Cleveland Indians. They are engaged and she said they probably will get married after she quits playing.

They met in Florida several years ago when he was injured and undergoing rehabilitation in Sarasota, introduced by a mutual friend. It didn’t take her long to realize that the relationship was something special.

“Like three days,” she said, laughing. “We really kind of clicked.”

Alomar, interviewed in Cleveland, was, at first, reluctant to discuss his relationship with Pierce, knowing her preference for privacy. He relented and started sounding a lot like his fiancee.

“I don’t think you love someone because he or she is a celebrity; it’s because you care about him or her as a person,” he said. “There’s more to our lives than sports. We’re happy with each other. We help each other in different ways. It’s always good to be with someone who understands the ups and downs of sports.

“There are a lot of times when we get down on ourselves because we’re not playing well, and we tell each other not to get too down, to learn from it.”

In the off-season, he has traveled to tournaments, including the Australian Open. Pierce has had her most Grand Slam success in Melbourne, winning in 1995 and reaching the final in ’94 and ’97.

“I just give her advice so she can mentally stay focused and strong,” he said. “Tennis is a very mental game, and I let her know I’m going to be with her in good times and bad times.”

Still, Pierce did not start well in 2000. She lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Ai Sugiyama and fell in her opening match to the unheralded Lilia Osterloh in Tokyo.

When Pierce was struggling, two family members helped pull her game back together. Her younger brother, David, started coaching and traveling with her.

She also turned to her estranged father, Jim, and resumed practicing with him in Florida after losing in Tokyo and before the next event in Scottsdale.

Jim Pierce was not called the Tennis Parent From Hell for nothing. His actions against his daughter and antics at events in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s were so serious that the WTA temporarily banned him from tournaments.

How a rapprochement transpired isn’t exactly clear. Pierce declined to discuss specifics when she beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in March, saying that the relationship with her father is private.

In Paris, she was a little more forthcoming, saying she has trained again with her father since those sessions in the winter.

“We practiced a little bit, just a few days,” Pierce said. “People are interested in everything.”

So, could we see Jim Pierce, coach, in the friends’ box again?

“No,” she said. “I don’t have any interest in that.”

Having her brother on the road has helped.

“This tour can be lonely, and boring sometimes. It’s great having him with me,” she said. “We have rooms next to each other so we’re always hanging out. He’s laid-back, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

David’s easygoing nature did not stop him from telling his sister she was playing poorly--even after a victory at Indian Wells. The Pierces returned to the desert courts for another session.

“I agreed. I wasn’t playing well,” Pierce said, bursting into laughter.

She is laughing a lot these days. Even in Paris.

The fans might not love her yet, but they appreciated her stylish 6-4, 6-0 victory over Razzano. Pierce stayed on the court for several minutes afterward, signing autographs.

There definitely is less pressure on her this year. She is not the only French player with a chance. Amelie Mauresmo, the Australian Open finalist in 1999, has drawn more attention the last year or so. And four others from France are ranked among the top 20--Nathalie Tauziat, Sandrine Testud, Julie Halard-Decugis and Nathalie Dechy.

Now, Pierce has reached something of a more stable middle ground after the years of adulation and abandonment in Paris. The awkward teenager is a smooth adult.

“It’s gotten easier,” she said. “It’s all a mental state. I’ve been through a lot here, ups and downs. Now, I don’t put any pressure on myself. I really don’t think about it.”

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Staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this story.

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U.S. Men Are Done

Chang was last one, but he’s knocked out by Kuerten.

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