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| June 2, 2005 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1426 |
Comeback ex-champions one match away from final
PARIS, June 1: Both former champions, both returning from lingering injuries, Mary Pierce and Justine Henin-Hardenne dream of meeting in Saturday’s French Open final. To reach that Roland Garros showdown would cap a fairytale return for 30-year-old Pierce, the last Frenchwoman to win her home Grand Slam when she triumphed five years ago.
The intervening years have not been kind to the Florida-based player who has endured a succession of injuries and loss of form. Pierce hasn’t been in the semifinals of a Grand Slam since her glorious run in Paris in 2000.
Henin-Hardenne, champion in 2003, returned to tennis in April after missing the early months of the year with a knee fracture. Last year the Belgian was plagued by a mystery viral illness which sapped her of energy.
A Pierce versus Henin-Hardenne final would be the perfect scenario for Roland Garros fans, but first both have work to do in Thursday’s semis.
Russia’s Elena Likhovtseva stands in the way of Pierce reaching her third final on Paris clay.
“I played Elena just a couple of weeks ago in Berlin and I won in two sets pretty easily, but I’m definitely expecting a very difficult match,” said Pierce, the 21st seed.
Former world number one Henin-Hardenne will also be the favourite when she steps on to centre court to face another Russian, Nadia Petrova.
“The important thing is not to think the hard work has been done,” said 1Oth seed Henin-Hardenne who is undefeated on clay this season and on a 22-match winning streak.
The combative Belgian, chasing her fourth grand slam crown, will face her third consecutive Russian. She beat US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova after saving two match points and then crushed Wimbledon titleholder Maria Sharapova.
Petrova, the seventh seed, will be playing her second semifinal at Roland Garros after losing to Belgium’s Kim Clijsters in 2003.
“I’m just going to focus on my own game and not really look who’s on the other side,” said the 22-year-old Russian. She has lost to Henin-Hardenne six times in seven meetings, most recently in the German Open final last month.
Likhovtseva has pulled herself out of tight spots several times in the tournament and she will not hold back faced with Pierce and a partisan crowd.
“I have nothing to lose,” said the 29-year-old, seeded 16th. I’ll just go for it. I don’t feel any pressure.”
Pierce was a teenager the first time she played in a Roland Garros final in 1994. She and Henin-Hardenne, 23 on Wednesday, look stronger than ever in their favourite tournament and tennis lovers would be delighted to see them clash in Saturday’s final.
Pierce knows she is not there yet but cannot stop thinking about how special such a final would be.
“It’s different but my feelings are similar to the ones I had when I won,” said the Frenchwoman.
“I would love to experience such great moments again. It would be even better this time, after all I’ve been through.”—Reuters
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