Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo had the makings of a good matchup. Both are French women who were undefeated on the week.

However, the four players advancing to the semifinals of the WTA Championships - Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, Pierce and Mauresmo - were known after Thursday's late match.

So Pierce and Mauresmo went out and played what amounted to little more than a practice match, with Pierce winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in front of 8,049.

"The first set for me was kind of weird," Pierce said. "I wasn't really motivated. It was tough to get going. More or less, I just went out to have fun and be on the court with Amelie. It doesn't matter if I win or lose."

The only issue left to be decided Friday was the matchups. Pierce's win means she finishes atop the black group as the only undefeated player in round-robin play and will face Davenport, second in the green group, in the semifinals today.

Mauresmo will face Sharapova, who won the green group.

Pierce lost her first two service games in the first set and seemed on her way to a lackadaisical defeat. But her pride took over in the second set.

"I wasn't very happy or proud of my performance in the first set," Pierce said. "I sat on the chair during the changeover and thought, 'What is going on here? I don't like this. Win or lose, I want to have a good match.'

"Then I got into it and was able to start getting focused and raise my intensity level."

Pierce broke in the 10th game to take the second set and took an early lead in the third set, when Mauresmo seemed ready to let the match end and start thinking about the semifinals.