A Slideshow Of Mary's Career

8th June 2000

In the semis, Mary provided fans with the match of the tournament upending top seed Martina Hingis 6-4 5-7 6-2 to move into the Roland Garros final. Playing inspired tennis in front of a fanatical Parisian crowd, a newly-revitalized Pierce put a demoralizing end to the Swiss Miss's hopes of winning her first ever Roland Garros crown.

The Swiss miss got off to a great start, going up 3-1 in the first set. But Mary came back strong taking the next 4 games tt go up 5-3.Serving for the set at 5-3, Mary made a string of unforced errors to hand Hingis the break back. She subsequently broke the No1 seed's serve to take the first set when a Hingis forehand clipped the net and tumbled back into her own court.

 A nervous Mary, who kissed her engagement ring and rosary necklace throughout the dual ,served for the match at 5-3 in the second but floundered the next few points to hand Hingis the break back.

In the following game, with Hingis serving at 4-5, Mary set up her first match point with a blistering backhand that Hingis could barely touch. Refusing to back down, Hingis played an aggressive shot deep to Pierce's corner, and Mary drove the return long. At deuce, Mary struck two unforced errors -- a swinging volley long and a backhand service return into the net. The set was tied at 5-5. Hingis then broke Mary's serve and won the second set 7-5.

As they began the third, it was hard to tell who was going to fade. Mary wasn't playing well, but Hingis had used a lot of energy going corner to corner chasing Mary's thundering shots. It was Hingis that cracked, hitting two straight double-faults in the fourth game and, at 30-40, leaving her forehand side open on a crosscourt drive. Once again, Mary's backhand up the line punished her.

They traded two more breaks to 4-2, when Mary began massaging the lower part of her left leg. She stretched it several times on court, but it didn't affect her running. Hingis tested her with a drop shot, but Pierce was there in plenty of time to topspin it up the line. She went up 5-2 when Hingis slopped a shot into the net.

In the final game, with Hingis serving at 15-all, Mary backpedaled to hit a deep backhand and somehow managed to get a full shoulder turn on a zinging crosscourt that got her out of a defensive hole and helped her win the point.

Three points later, on the eighth stroke of a tense final rally, Mary drove another lethal backhand up the line from deep in the corner, and Hingis, just a shade late getting there, yanked her forehand crosscourt and the ball settled in the doubles alley.

Mary erupted and the 16,000 on the Court Centrale celebrated with her.

An hour after Mary's momentous win, Parisians were still in heaven, and Mary was still in the trainer's room, getting intravenous feeding to ward off what might have become a full-body cramping. Mary, it was reported by tournament medical staff who treated her, was unable to sit down (due to the cramping) for over one hour after she came off court. "I never had cramps before -- first time in my life,'' she said. "It just came all of a sudden at 4-2 in the third set. I hit a backhand and almost fell to the ground with a cramp in my left calf. And a second time. I won that point, but I don't know how.'' It took her more than two hours after her match to meet with reporters. She spent an hour walking to keep her body from going into convulsions and then took a couple of intravenous feedings. After the match, Mary received a personal phone call from the French President, Jacques Chirac. Mr. Chirac called to congratulate Pierce on her victory and said that his finals forecast had always included Mary in the final.The President watched the match on television appreciated her bravery in the third set. In addition, Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister, addressed the following message to Mary after her triumph: "I would like to congratulate you on your magnificent performance which has enabled you to reach the final. Your way of constructing the game, with intelligence, taking chances when necessary, made the match a great tennis moment. I am convinced you will be able to repeat the same feat on Saturday. I will be honored to attend and encourage you."