PARIS – They thought they might never get to this point again. In fact, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Mary Pierce thought their careers might be over.
"To find myself again in the finals here is certainly a fantastic feeling because I had very bad moments of fear and [other] problems," said Henin-Hardenne after defeating Nadia Petrova 6-2, 6-3 to advance to play Pierce in Saturday's French Open final.
Henin-Hardenne won the title here in 2003. Later that year, she won the U.S. Open and then the Australian Open in 2004. Ranked No. 1, she was on top of the world. But then she became ill with cytomegalo virus, a condition that causes severe fatigue. She missed most of the 2004 season.
"When I was not feeling well, I was worried for my tennis career, obviously," she said. "But I felt bad for the rest of my life … I couldn't even go out with friends to eat in a restaurant. You have all sorts of doubts coming to your mind. Are you ever going to be normal again?"
Henin-Hardenne returned to Roland Garros in 2004 in an attempt to defend her title, but she fell in the second round. She returned and won the gold medal in the Olympics in August, handing Pierce a loss along the way. Still, she had returned too soon and fell in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. It wasn't until this year that Henin-Hardenne regained her previous form – still fighting the virus, but able to play again. And win and win and win $#150; until her scorecard showed 23 consecutive matches.
"Look at what Justine has been through," Pierce said. "She's awesome. ... I really appreciate her and admire her as a person and also as a player."
Pierce, 30, has been through quite a bit in her career, as well.
Pierce turned pro in 1989 only a few months after turning 14. Her first major tournament was at Roland Garros, where she reached the second round. In 1995, Pierce won the Australian Open. Five years later, she won the French Open. It's been another five years, and once again she's in the final.
The ups and downs were a result of problems on and off the court. When she was younger, rumors flew about Pierce's father and an abusive relationship. He yelled out for Pierce to "kill the [expletive]" during a match. In 1993, Jim Pierce was banned by the WTA from attending tournaments, and a new rule governing abusive behavior dubbed the Jim Pierce Rule was put in place. Father and daughter became estranged.
In 2001, she suffered tendinitis in both ankles and inflammation in her back. She went from being ranked No. 7 in the world in 2000 to No. 130. The doctors, she said, couldn't tell her if the back pain would subside.
"So I really was like, 'Hmm, maybe I won't be able to ever play again,'" Pierce said. "I wasn't sure.
"That's why I really appreciate things more now, you know. Even all the little things, every day, day in and day out about what I do."
She even stopped to appreciate the moments in her quarterfinal match with Lindsay Davenport. Yes, during the match.
Some players find Pierce's pace during matches, well, a bit annoying.
"For me, was a bit tough because she took a lot of time in between points when she was serving," said Elena Likhovtseva after losing to Pierce 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals.
Henin-Hardenne likes to set her own pace – recall her now-infamous hand up to a serving Serena Williams in the '03 semifinals.
In any case, both Likhovtseva and Nadia Petrova said Henin-Hardenne is the favorite in the final.
"[Mary's] a fighter," Likhovtseva said. "Mary, if she plays like that, she has a lot of good chances, but I think Justine has something in her game that can break that rhythm."
"I'm feeling a lot fitter and I'm playing better," Pierce said. "It's definitely going to be a really tough match. It's going to be a really exciting match. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Both players feel most at home on clay. Pierce, who plays for France, was born in Canada to a French mother. Now she splits her time between a home in Florida and Paris. Henin-Hardenne is from Belgium and expects a strong contingent supporting her against Pierce.
"I love this place," Henin-Hardenne said. "I feel I'm playing like at home. So it's beautiful."
And both feel they have unfinished business here.
"Why I'm here today," Pierce said, "is because I had something inside of me when I had my injuries that was telling me 'You know, you're not done. There's still something for you to do in tennis, still some things for you to accomplish.'"
"If I would have only one more Grand Slam final," Henin-Hardenne said, "I wish it would be here. I hope I have many other Grand Slam finals, but this one is very special."
