Clouds lift from troubled Pierce

The dark days, it seems, are nearly over for Mary Pierce. The former French Open champion, who after almost two years of constant injuries both mental and physical now relies on wild cards to enter most events, hinted in yesterday's 6-1, 7-5 defeat of the Argentinian Mariana Diaz-Oliva that her form might be returning.

Pierce, who started the week with a world ranking of 195, will almost certainly return to Roland Garros later this month, having missed her title defence last year. Now, however, there is a feeling that her much-publicised hard times may have helped to rescue her career.

"It took my back problem such a long time to heal and then questions come into your mind," she said after reaching the second round of the German Open. "But that part of it was not so difficult because I have been through a lot of things in my life."

Pierce is tired of people recapping her troubled relationship with her father, but it does help keep things in perspective. "I've just tried to be patient and keep playing. I've done that by looking at things and trying to see why they happen, though that's not always easy," she explained. "Some things are difficult to explain, because I still feel there are a lot of things which I have gone through which I am still learning about."

Often she overwhelmed Diaz-Oliva by sheer weight of shot, but her most spectacular play came after wavering concentration allowed her opponent, ranked No102, back into the game. Twice the Argentinian served for the second set.

If Pierce is to reach a third round for only the second time this year, there can be no repeat performance. She faces the sixth-seeded Jelena Dokic, who is building up to the defence of her Italian Open title next week.

The winner is likely to face Daniela Hantuchova, the 19-year-old new threat from Slovakia who won the Indian Wells title in March. Hantuchova is coached by Nigel Sears, from Sussex. "It's happening rather quicker than we expected," he admitted of his charge's sudden success. "But she won't let anything distract from her tennis."

No worries on that score yesterday in a dank, clay-spattered tussle, in which Hantuchova struggled to survive in three sets against Paola Suarez, an Argentinian ranked No42. But a new day can make everything look very different.

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