It is not often that Mary Pierce, one of the most neurotic and complex of tennis players, can be accused of doing things the easy way, but she reached the final of the French Open Thursday with the minimum of fuss. She appeared so content and so relaxed, swinging away at the ball as if this was a hit-and-giggle match, not a showpiece occasion.

The defining image of the afternoon came as the Frenchwoman was serving for the opening set, looked over at her entourage, and let out a startling prolonged, girlie and totally unconscious giggle. She seemed so taken aback by the almost total lack of any resistance, with the performance from her opponent, Russian Elena Likhovtseva, hapless and hopeless, bordering on the shameful.

This was undoubtedly one of those days Pierce had been talking about, when she is playing with such freedom and vitality that it feels like she is “an eagle gliding through the sky”.

Pierce defeated Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-1 in just under an hour to earn herself a third appearance in the Roland Garros final. It was a strange occasion, with all the feel and blown kisses of a love-in for Pierce, and none of the tension of a Grand Slam semi-final.

Pierce, the champion here in 2000, revelled in the attention from the crowd, waving and sending kisses to all sides of the Philippe Chatrier Court.. The Canadian-born player has not always been the most popular of players at Roland Garros, but she is also so talented, quirky and maddening. Just how the French like their tennis players. Her story becomes ever more improbable, ever more compelling.

Somehow the 30-year-old has found the form of her life, playing with confidence. “This is such a fantastic feeling. It would be just unbelievable for me to win another Grand Slam. I would probably sit here and not know what to say. It would be just unbelievable,” Pierce said. “Today there’s another phrase, ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’. You just have to keep your objective in sight.”

In the weeks leading up to the French Open, Pierce had been imploring the tennis world to rate her as one of the contenders for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. But she was largely ignored, because in the 15 Grand Slams that she had played since winning the title here five years ago, the furthest she had managed was a quarter final. Pierce has also struggled with injuries.

The resurgence from Pierce can partly be explained by the calm in her private life. She is back with God, and back with her family. She has reaffirmed her religious beliefs, has her brother, David, working as her coach again, and has made up with her father, Jim, who once caused her so many problems, famously imploring his daughter during one match to, “Kill the bitch”.

And the physique, which in the past has earned the cruel nicknames of ‘La Grand Dame’ and ‘The Body’, has also changed. Pierce has slimmed down considerably from last year, the weight dripping off her once comfortable frame, and her speed around the court was quietly impressive, on several occasions scurrying to meet and smash shots that 12 months ago she would have struggled to even reach.

Pierce looked fluid, athletic, and more than a little deadly, but the most entertaining facet of the match was probably not the tennis itself, but the pre-serve routine from Pierce. Before almost every point, she would run her shoes along the baseline to clear it of any loose clay, smooth the area just in front, and use her racket to tap the dust from her soles. “It was a bit annoying. It was tough for me,” Likhovtseva said.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH