Comeback queen and beauty queen successful this fortnight

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Nov 8, 1998

Back-to-back titles for glamour girl Mary Pierce
For the first time in her career, Mary Pierce has won back-to-back titles, winning the Kremlin Cup in Moscow two weeks ago, and then the Seat Open in Luxembourg the following week. Is she on her way back to the higher echelons of the game? It seems as if Mary has regained much of the superb form she displayed at the beginning of the year, when she made the Hopman Cup finals, reached the quarters of the Australian Open without dropping a set in her first four rounds, and won titles at Paris and Amelia Island. Unfortunately, injuries prevented her from an even better year than what she has had already - perhaps it was as a result of injuries that she was an early round loser at the French Open and Wimbledon. Nevertheless, out of the fifteen tournaments she played this year, she has reached the finals in five, and won four of those events - good solid results which have seen her qualify for the Chase Championships for the second year in a row.

She definitely showed her true colours in the final, not conceding a single game to Silvia Farina, who retired after losing 8 straight games after a groin injury. Nevertheless, it was a great tournament for Silvia Farina, who claimed her first Top 10 scalp by defeating top seed Nathalie Tauziat in the semis and in addition, claimed the scalp of third seed Irina Spirlea in the quarters. It was just too much for Silvia to claim her first career WTA Tour title after four runner-up finishes this year. The results of this tournament, however, have sent Silvia into the Top 20 for the first time in her career, and should move Mary up one notch to #7.

Seat Open - Luxembourg
Prize Money: $164,250; Champion's Prize: $27,000
Tier III; Surface: Indoor (Hardcourt)

Status of the Seeds

Nathalie TAUZIAT (FRA, #9) - defeated by Silvia Farina in semi finals 6-2 2-6 6-3
Mary PIERCE (FRA, #7) - WON CHAMPIONSHIP, defeating Silvia Farina 6-0 2-0 ret
Irina SPIRLEA (ROM, #14) - defeated by Silvia Farina in quarter finals 6-4 4-6 6-3
Amanda COETZER (RSA, #15) - defeated by Elena Tatarkova in first round 6-1 6-4
Ai SUGIYAMA (JAP, #18) - defeated by 2-Mary Pierce in quarter finals 6-3 6-2
Anke HUBER (GER, #20) - defeated by 1-Nathalie Tauziat in quarter finals 6-3 6-3

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