Amelie Mauresmo proved her doubters wrong by holding her nerve to beat Anastasia Myskina 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday and level the Fed Cup final with Russia at 1-1 after the opening singles.
"It's tight, just like we knew it would be," Mauresmo said after the first day of the re-run of last year's final won 3-2 by Russia.
The former world number one has a reputation for cracking under pressure at Roland Garros, never advancing beyond the quarter-finals of the French Open.
On Saturday, however, she returned superbly on her way to a comfortable victory that cancelled out Elena Dementieva's 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 revenge defeat of Mary Pierce.
Dementieva had accused Pierce of using unfair tactics after losing to the 30-year-old in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open last week.
The Russian said Pierce faked an injury when she took back-to-back timeouts lasting 12 minutes to receive treatment after losing the first set at Flushing Meadows.
HOME ADVANTAGE
Both teams rely on formidable singles line-ups but France, playing their third successive final, have home advantage with Roland Garros staging Fed Cup action for the first time in 27 years.
"It was cold and windy and the conditions out there were really difficult," said Mauresmo, who was cheered on by 15,000 fans packing centre court and setting an attendance record for a Fed Cup final.
"It won't be easy but it's really fun. The atmosphere is fantastic."
While
"It was the worst match I ever played," she sighed. "I played really bad."
There were no incidents between Dementieva and Pierce on Saturday, both players alternating brilliant winners and clumsy errors until Dementieva stepped up a gear and Pierce collapsed in the decisive set.
SELECTION HEADACHE
"I had some problems at first but I felt better in the second set," said Pierce, who had little time to recover from her fortnight at Flushing Meadows, where she lost to Belgium's Kim Clijsters in the final.
"It's difficult with the time difference and the change of surface but it's the same for Elena," added Pierce, who loves Roland Garros, having won the French Open there five years ago and reached the final in 1994 and this year.
Mauresmo will play Dementieva before Pierce takes on Myskina in Sunday's reverse singles. The French pair of Nathalie Dechy and Mauresmo should then meet Vera Douchevina and Dinara Safina in the doubles.
The French captain, Georges Goven, faces a selection headache after Pierce, who was wearing a strapping on her right thigh, appeared to run out of steam on Saturday.
"I'm ready to play but it's the captain's choice," said Pierce. "If he feels another player can do a better job, fine."
