Day Two of the Sarasota Open dawned overcast, but that didn?t stop the fans, as the spectator total markedly increased
from Monday?s poor turnout. The stride was hit when the increasingly mysterious Mary Pierce hit the court for her first
tournament in many weeks. Pierce showed her mettle on the stadium; where all of the ladies previous to her had played
tentative games that belied their self-confidence, Pierce brought her confident mannerisms and balletic control of the court
back to the fore. Skeptics assumed that Pierce would not even show up at this Tier IV tournament, though she proved them
wrong. I caught a glimpse of Pierce earlier in the day, with her perfect posture and a new short bob, and, with a serene
smile on her face, she took that serenity and used it to whomp Japanese Ai Sugiyama, 6-3 6-3.
Pierce seems to have regained her world-beating form, for her first round at the very least. She hit winners from every inch
of the court, including a surprising amount from in front of the midcourt. Her powerful serve, two aces included, repeatedly
frustrated Sugiyama, who double faulted on match point, at pivotal points of the match. The Frenchwoman, billed as
?Sarasota?s own? at the start of the match, outclassed Sugiyama in every department. Should she hold onto this form, there
isn?t any reason why she shouldn?t make the final, though I?ll put in some foreboding by saying that Pierce lost focus at the
end of both sets. Though that was enough to beat Sugiyama, it could be troublesome against the top seeds, or even rising
yong Russian Anastasia Myskina, who is a potential second-round opponent. I asked Mary how far she would have to go into
the tournament to consider it a success, but she says that she and her coach, Bobby Banck, consider it ?bonus
time?...?Every match is pretty much a practice...I have nothing left to prove...?
Two of Pierce?s relative countrywomen (Pierce has a lot of them) battled it out on the grandstand. While Virginie Razzano
was unable to combat the slow, monotonous game of Anna Smashnova in the qualifying, she became the grandest of
winners ? a LUCKY lucky loser ? by ousting World #35 Nathalie Dechy. Dechy knocked off Indian Wells? top seed Kim
Clijsters last month, but Razzano had far too much power for Dechy today.
Razzano, one of the brightest junior players in recent history, raced to a 5-2 lead in the first set, but serving for it, banged
out two unforced errors and a double fault to lose her service at love. Unfortunately for Dechy, she let a 40-0 lead slip in
her 3-5 service game, losing the last five points (with two double faults inclusive) and giving the set to Razzano.
Razzano was clearly the more excitable player, and rode her adrenalin to an early break in the second set. She was serving
at 2-1 when a light drizzle hit the court, and with thunder rumbling in the background, had to stave off a break point at
30-40. But she was able to hold on, leaving Dechy gesturing at the cloudy sky and swearing in French (she received a
warning for her audible obscenity, a rarity from the oft-placid Dechy). From that point on, Razzano?s aggressive style kept
Dechy fumbling at the end of rallies. An anxious Razzano had trouble closing out the match at 5-3, quickly going down 0-40
and, after clawing back to deuce, lost her service with a double fault. But, as the pattern had been, Dechy fell apart on her
serve, foolishly charging to the net in the final game while Razzano passed her with accuracy....
One of Pierce?s fellow Roland Garros champions, Iva Majoli, was unable to capitalize on a second-set charge, and lost to Gala
Leon Garcia of Spain. Leon?s steady baseline game forced Majoli into numerous errors. Majoli had been complaining about a
lingering cold yesterday, but it did not seem to affect her in the second set, as she was able to decrease her unforced errors
and push Leon into a second set tiebreak. Majoli quickly won the first four points, three on forehand winners, and galloped
to a 7-2 tiebreak rout.
But by the middle of the third set, Majoli started cramping, and had to have both thighs treated by the trainer at 2-3. As the
set moved into the eighth game, Majoli often was bending over and clutching her calves between points. She quickly went
down 0-40 in her service game at 4-5, and though she was able to frustrate the fiery Spaniard by hitting winners on the first
two, she tanked another ball into the net to give Leon Garcia the match, 6-3 6-7(2) 6-4. Majoli?s official excuse was ?heat
illness?...
The match of the day was clearly the Meghann Shaughnessy victory over Jennifer Hopkins.
This battle of Americans was
nail-biting from the start, as Hopkins stunned the crowd by winning the first set 6-3. Shaughnessy countered with a 7-5
second set, and seemed to have the momentum going into the third set in front of a reasonably full crowd. But Hopkins was
not going to go down lightly. Shaughnessy was immediately in a 0-40 hole at 1-1, and after scraping her way back to deuce,
put in a double fault and lost her serve. Hopkins then saved two break points and held on for 3-1. Shaughnessy got in
trouble right away in her next service game, and on her fourth break point of the game, Hopkins was five feet away from
the net with an easy sitter coming at her. But the 20-year-old from Kansas pushed it wide with a yelp, and Shaughnessy
was able to hold on in that game.
Hopkins regrouped and held on to her next two service games, and Shaughnessy was still struggling. At 3-5 30-30,
Shaughnessy hit what appeared to be an ace, but just missed, and then was passed by a smoking Hopkins backhand. On
Hopkins? first match point, Shaughnessy hit a forehand close to the sideline that appeared to be out. Hopkins raised her
fists in triumph, but the ball was good. Shaughnessy later answered my question about what she was thinking when that
shot hit the court, by saying ?I was hoping it was in...that?s tennis. One point can make a difference.? Hopkins wouldn?t win
another game....