Former champ Pierce says time is right for Halep to win first Slam

– Former French Open champion Mary Pierce has backed Romanian Simona Halep (right) to end her Grand Slam jinx and believes this year’s draw bodes well for the future of the women’s game.

Pierce, the last French player to win the singles title in Paris, also said Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, France’s best hopes at the tournament this year, might struggle under the pressure of their home Slam.

“I do believe in Simona,” Pierce said. “I think she will win a Grand Slam. Which one and when I don’t know, but definitely clay is a good surface for her.”

World No 1 Halep, who faces American Alison Riske in the first round, has a reputation for

Paris

cracking in big matches and lost to newcomer Jelena Ostapenko in last year’s French Open final.

Halep’s defeat by the Latvian ended arguably her best chance of winning a maiden Slam, and she also lost to Dane Caroline Wozniacki in this year’s Australian Open final.

The Romanian’s reputation of faltering when the lights are brightest was born after her defeat by Maria Sharapova in the 2014 Roland Garros final.

She did little to dispel that perception when losing to Elina Svitolina in this month’s Italian Open final.

“She hasn’t yet handled the pressure really well, and the moments where she could have won her first Grand Slam, the pressure just got to her,” added Pierce, who was champion at Roland Garros in 2000.

“I think she’s been through enough of those and I wouldn’t count her out because once a Slam comes around, the top players shift to another gear.”

While the men’s game has been dominated by Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in recent years, the women’s game has been more open, especially with Serena Williams denied a seeding here this year.

Pierce said the rules preventing Serena, who starts against Czech Kristyna Pliskova, from being seeded upon her return to the tour after giving birth to her daughter should be changed.

“They decided not to seed Serena. I don’t know why, honestly,” she added. “I think she should have been seeded.”

The 43-year-old Pierce, who is proud of her status as the last French player to win the singles at Roland Garros, revealed how Garcia has been working with a sports psychologist to mentally prepare for the tournament.

“I was reading that there are several players who have the possibility of finishing number one in the world if they win Roland Garros and Caroline Garcia is one of them,” Pierce said. “I was pretty surprised.

“How she’s going to handle the pressure, playing in France as a French player, I don’t know. It’s very difficult to do.” – Reuters