Pierce Says Girls Need to Get Off the Baseline

Posted on March 15, 2005

Former Australian and French Open winner Mary Pierce, the No. 30 seed this week in Indian Wells, says today's youngsters need to lose their fear of the net to compete with Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo and the onslaught of Russians over the last year.

"(They need an) all-court game, able to do everything," said Pierce, whose net game won her the doubles title at Roland Garros among her 10 career doubles trophies. "Have a big serve, have big returns, solid returns, be fast, you know, have big strokes from both sides, forehand, backhand. Also, come in, not be afraid to come in, definitely."

Pierce says too many juniors are taught to bang away at the baseline without learning the finer points of net play.

"I think that it just really wasn't engrained or worked on from the beginning of their game," Pierce said. "I think sometimes you get set in a way when you first learn how to play. I think if you don't learn to go in at an early stage then you don't feel comfortable, you don't feel confident doing it. You kind of run to the net, you think, 'Uh-oh.' Because the point is going to be over pretty soon. I think they get a little bit afraid to lose the point instead of looking at it as, you know, coming forward, being aggressive, you're going to win the point."

Pierce advanced Monday into the round of 16 at Indian Wells with a win over trumpeted 16-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, and will next face No. 6-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova.

-- Tennis-X.com