Tennis: Pierce Believes in the Power of Five As France Rallies Behind Her

It's high fives for Mary Pierce. Years, that is. The Montreal-born, United States-raised French player won the first of her two grand slam titles in Melbourne in 1995, her second five years later here in the French Open, and now, at the age of 30, she is only two victories away from what would be a famously unlikely third.

"When I was 20 I used to think that maybe I would retire by the time I was 30, but I feel far from wanting to retire now. Maybe the injuries I had that kept me out for a little bit have kind of rejuvenated me. It gave me quite a bit of time off that I didn't expect and a different insight into the game," said Pierce, who has dropped only one set during the five-match run to the semi-finals.

Today she plays the 29-year-old Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, who is in uncharted grand slam seas, having previously reached only two quarter- finals in 45 attempts, the first in Australia five years ago and then at Wimbledon in 2002. The odds heavily favour Pierce reaching her fifth slam final and her third on the clay here.

Pierce has her brother David coaching her again and is hitting the ball with an exuberant freedom. "My game is a power game, it's not a retrieving game. When I'm in the right position, you know, I can hit the ball pretty well." Much too well in the quarter-finals for Lindsay Davenport, whom she beat 6-3, 6-2.

"Every morning when I wake up after playing, I feel good. I can still compete against the top players and that's what's motivating for me. If I wasn't able to do that then I wouldn't continue to play.

"There is no secret; it's hard work, discipline and dedica tion. I'm willing to do everything that it takes, all the little things day in and day out, to be the best that I can, and that's what I look forward to."

Having played at Roland Garros since 1990, missing only one year, 2001, with shoulder problems, Pierce can better appreciate and reflect on what is happening this time. "I took a moment out there against Lindsay towards the end, listened to the crowd cheering, and just said to myself: 'This is going to make for good memories for later on in my life.' I really wanted to appreciate the moment, and that definitely comes from experience."

It would not be unfair to say that the French have often been ambivalent towards Pierce because of her background. Indeed she once found the volatile crowd on the Philippe Chatrier court cheering her opponent. But this year there has been altogether more warmth.

Recently she easily beat Likhovtseva in Berlin but she expects a much tougher match today. "I watched her play Sesil Karatantcheva and she looked very confident. She also beat Elena Dementieva [last year's beaten finalist] the round before." However, Pierce believes herself to be a better player than when she beat Spain's Conchita Martínez in the 2000 final. "I think mentally I'm stronger than I have ever been in my career."

In today's other women's semi-final Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, the 2003 champion and firm favourite to win her fourth grand slam title on Saturday, plays Russia's Nadia Petrova.

While Roland Garros waited in eager anticipation of tomorrow's men's semi-final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the four "forgotten" men in the bottom half of the draw battled for places in the other semi-final, with the unseeded Mariano Puerta and Russia's Nikolay Davydenko triumphing on what turned out to be 10-set Wednesday.

Puerta, like Nadal a left- hander, defeated his fellow Argentinian Guillermo Cañas 6-2, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match lasting more than 3 hours and containing, particularly in the deciding set, some fabulous rallies, with Puerta generally on the front foot and Cañas counter-attacking superbly.

After one point, which ended with Cañas chasing down a drop-shot and just failing to control the return, both men were left grinning in admiration of each other at the net and exchanging comments, such was the immense effort they had both expended and the quality of their shots. "We decided we had to stop running. We'd had enough of it," said Puerta.

Puerta gained the crucial break of serve midway through the fifth set and, although Cañas saved two match points, he had nothing more to give. In 2003 Puerta was suspended for nine months when he tested positive for the banned drug clenbuterol. He returned last July with a ranking of 440 and spent the rest of the year on the second-tier Challenger circuit.

It took Davydenko, who guaranteed himself a place in next week's top 10, four match points to nail Tommy Robredo in another five-setter, also lasting more than three hours.

Justin Henin-Hardenne has pulled out of the Eastbourne tournament starting a week on Monday. She has had further tests on a virus which has troubled her for more than a year and has been advised to rest between the French Open and Wimbledon.

Semi-finals

Women (1pm BST today)

N Petrova </B> (Rus, 7) v J Henin-Hardenne (Bel, 10)

M Pierce (Fr, 21) v E Likhovtseva (Rus, 16)

Men (tomorrow)

R Federer (Switz, 1) v R Nadal (Sp, 4)

N Davydenko (Rus, 12) v M Puerta (Arg, unseeded)