Pierce powers into last four

It was a great victory for Mary Pierce

Mary Pierce (6) beat Monica Seles (3) 4-6 6-3 6-4

The French crowd went wild when local hero Mary Pierce beat Monica Seles to advance into the semi-finals of the French Open.

It was the biggest game of Pierce's life and she responded to the crowd's enthusiasm by coming from a set down to beat Seles 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Pierce, the sixth seed, played some scintillating tennis to break down the third seed in a hard-fought quarter-final.

Pierce now plays top seed Martina Hingis in Thursday's semi-final.

Seles' defeat meant there was not a single United States player left in the men's or women's tournaments.

Confident

The semi-final will be a test for Hingis' temperament, and the crowd's patience, with her taking on local hero Pierce.

However Hingis said she was not worried.

She said: "I'm not worried, because every match is difficult from now on.

"If you are happy and confident, you just play your game.

"If it is good enough great. If not, there are many years to come."