TENNIS/French Open: "Irrestible Justine," said the headline on Le Figaro. "Queen Mary" said France Soir. Two French speaking players in the Roland Garros semi-finals today and both of them facing Russian players.
Justine Henin-Hardenne's match against Nadia Petrova and Mary Pierce's meeting with Elena Likhovtseva will be two of the most partisan meetings of the fortnight on Court Philippe Chatrier.
For Pierce this edition of the French Open represents a flourish in the twilight of her career. As she was ushering world number one Lindsay Davenport off the stage on Tuesday, Pierce stood back from the game and looked up and around the art deco stadium, listening to the cheering French crowd.
At 30 years old Pierce has learned something about the speed of transition from one stage of a career to the next. This time around she has allowed herself to enjoy the view.
"I took a moment out there on the court, maybe it was when I had one of my match points," she said after beating Davenport. "I don't remember, but it was close to the end when the crowd were cheering me. I looked at the scoreboard. I looked at the speedometer. I just listened to the crowd cheering. I just really wanted to appreciate that moment because I know this is going to make for good memories."
Pierce has won two Grand Slam championships, the Australian Open in 1995 and Roland Garros in 2000, when she beat Spain's Conchita Martinez in the final. But since that triumph, the Canadian-born player has not reached a Grand Slam semi-final.
Hindered by injuries on and off since 2001, she even got off to a late start this year because of a shoulder complaint.
The last time she met Likhovtseva was in Berlin earlier this year, beating her in two sets. The Russian has struggled to get this far and survived Elena Dementieva - serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set - and the 15-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva. The Russian was forced to come back from a break down in the third set to beat the teenager.
"Last time I won in two sets. I played a good match, was very steady," said Pierce. "I was strong. I know what I have to play when I play her. I'm not expecting an easy match. I'm expecting a very tight match. She's going to fight."
The winner is likely to face Henin-Hardenne, who has become the dominant figure left in the draw. Followed around the walkways of Roland Garros yesterday by a Belgian camera crew and a crowd of spectators singing Happy Birthday, it was a time out for the rather intense 23-year-old, who has discovered here a level of play that is elevated enough to win a title. Maria Sharapova's curt dismissal was evidence enough, but Petrova has been this far before.
In 2003 she created something of a sensation when she knocked out Monica Seles, then ranked 12th in the world, seventh-ranked Jennifer Capriati and Vera Zvonareva. Ranked 76 at the time Petrova fell at the semi-final to Belgium's Kim Clijsters. To this point the Russian has dropped only one set, but she's still looking for a career-first title, an issue she tried to explain after her quarter-final win.
"It's only my third year after injury," said Petrova. "I feel like my career only started after that nine months off. And I still have lots of years ahead of me. I've already been in a couple of finals and had good results at the Grand Slams. It's a matter of time and being patient and it will come."
Petrova will bring to the match that particular Russian bite. Sharapova possesses it also, but she was so overwhelmed and at odds with the surface against Henin-Hardenne, she had little chance to show it.
Sharapova, the $25 million Russian, Anastasia Myskina, the French Open winner, Svetlana Kuznetsova the US Open winner, Anna Kournikova the glamourous Russian; the feeling has been that Petrova might just be the forgotten Russian.
"I am playing tennis for myself and my family," she replied. "I don't care what people say."
That's the attitude Henin-Hardenne will respect.
Today's semi-finals
Justine Henin-Hardenne (Bel) v Nadia Petrova (Rus)
Mary Pierce (Fra) v Elena Likhovtseva (Rus)
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