Pierce Is Learning Not to Get Ahead of Herself in France

What troubled Mary Pierce the night before the French Open women’s final in 1994 had more to do with words than ground strokes.

Mentally, Pierce was already holding the trophy, especially since she was coming off a recent victory against her opponent in the final, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

“I was extremely nervous,” Pierce said, recalling the buildup. “ ‘Oh, God, I have to do a speech in French.’ I practiced it the whole night.”

She lost to Sanchez-Vicario, 6-4, 6-4. Now, Pierce, 25, gets another shot at giving the speech in French, playing against another Spaniard, 28-year-old Conchita Martinez, in today’s final. It will be a test of Pierce’s powerful ground strokes against the spin and guile of Martinez.

The sixth-seeded Pierce has dropped two sets in six matches--one to Monica Seles in the quarterfinals, the other to Martina Hingis in the semifinals. Martinez survived two early scares against unseeded players, defeating Cara Black of Zimbabwe, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the second round and Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, in the fourth round.

In the quarters, Martinez faced two set points against 17-year-old qualifier Marta Marrero, fought them off and has played flawless tennis since then. She has been helped by her association with Spanish psychologist Guillermo Perez, who is with her in Paris.

Pierce, who leads the series against Martinez, 10-6, has talked about the benefit of being coached by her brother David, and has been open about her renewed faith in God. She wondered how the French public would treat her when things got difficult and was relieved to receive support.

“It is not at all a tournament like any other,” Pierce said. “It is impossible [to compare]. I’m playing here in France. The public is behind me. My family is watching me. My friends are watching me. It is something exceptional for me.”

Pierce started cramping near the end of her victory against Hingis on Thursday, needed medical attention afterward but was fit enough to play her doubles semifinal with Hingis on Friday against the French team of Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

This will be the first Grand Slam final for Pierce since the 1997 Australian Open final. She won the Australian Open in 1995 and is trying to become the first French woman to win the French Open since Francoise Durr in 1967.

The French public has never been consistent in its treatment of Pierce, often booing and jeering her after uninspired play.

So, does Pierce feel more French now that she is in the final?

“No, I’m the same as I always will be,” she said. “I’m French and I’m American. I was born in Canada. I love living in America and I love playing the French Open in front of my French people who support me.”

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Conchita Martinez vs. Mary Pierce

Head-to-head record of French Open finalists Mary Pierce (6) and Conchita Martinez (5). Pierce leads series, 10-6:

1995

* Australian Open, hard, SF, Pierce, 6-3, 6-1.

* Rome, clay, SF, Martinez, 6-3, 6-3.

* San Diego, hard, SF, Martinez, 6-1, 6-3.

1996

* Amelia Island, clay, QF, Pierce, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

* Hamburg, clay, SF, Martinez, 6-1, 6-1.

* Fed Cup, carpet, SF, Martinez, 7-5, 6-1.

1997

* Rome, clay, F, Pierce, 6-4, 6-0.

* Berlin, clay, R16, Pierce, 6-2, 6-0.

1998

* Amelia Island, clay, F, Pierce, 6-7 (8), 6-0, 6-2.

* San Diego, hard, R16, Pierce, 6-7 (1), 6-2, 6-3.

1999

* Amelia Isl., clay, QF, Martinez, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

* Hamburg, clay, QF, Pierce, 6-4, 6-4.

* Rome, clay, R16, Pierce, 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (2).

* French Open, clay, R64, Martinez, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

* Leipzig, carpet, QF, Pierce, 6-2, 6-2.

2000

* Sydney, hard, R16, Pierce, 6-1, 6-4.

Legend: R64--Round of 64; R16--Round of 16; QF--Quarterfinals; SF--Semifinals; F--Final.