Mary Pierce threw her arms in the air and looked into the crowd at her brother/coach after another winner put her into Saturday's Roland Garros women's final. But then she sat down and dropped her head into her lap, overcome with the shock of this improbable run in Paris.

At 30-years-old and as the 21st-seed, few would have given Pierce much chance at reaching her third French Open final this year, but after an amazingly easy 6-1 6-1 58-minute defeat of Elena Likhovtseva Thursday, she has another chance at the Suzanne Lenglen trophy.

It was a dominant performance from the Frenchwoman. Much like her dismissal of world number one Lindsay Davenport in the previous round, Pierce dictated with her first serve and array of winners, which today varied from powerful cross-court forehands to a backhand high-volley that she kissed over the net to earn match point.

And much like Davenport, Likhovtseva never found an answer. She was simply overmatched in her first ever Grand Slam semi-final. Pierce posted 15 winners in the first set. Likhovtseva won just 15 points in the whole frame.

The second set was just as lop-sided as Pierce took just 25 minutes to secure her spot alongside Justine Henin-Hardenne Saturday. The Belgian stormed through the draw with the support of the Parisian crowd, but she will be the enemy over the weekend.

Pierce has yet to win a set off the 2003 Roland Garros champion in three career encounters, the last of which came in the 2004 Athens Olympics.