French veteran Mary Pierce, runner-up in two of the year's Grand Slams, still believes she can reach world number one.

The 30-year-old, who this week contests the season-ending WTA Championships, has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence with runs to the finals of both the French and US Opens as well as titles in San Diego and Moscow [Images].

She is already setting lofty targets for next year, with a Wimbledon crown high on her wish list.

"It is a legitimate goal," Pierce said. "Is it realistic that I'm ranked number five now?

"I would love to get to number one and win another Grand Slam title like Wimbledon or the US Open.

"But at least at I've been to the final of the US Open, which I haven't done at Wimbledon. On grass, I'm playing better and better.

"If I could win Wimbledon and get to number one, then I could retire and say I've achieved everything I wanted to."

Should she win the WTA Championships, Pierce would go a long way to achieving her ranking goal.

If she grabs the title, she could reach the number three ranking behind Lindsay Davenport [Images] and Kim Clijsters [Images], equalling her career high ranking achieved nearly 10 years ago after she won the Australian Open.

Pierce, who also won the French Open in 2000, begins her challenge against Clijsters on Tuesday in a re-match of the US Open final that the Belgian won easily.

Her group also includes fellow Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo and Russia's [Images] Elena Dementieva.

The other group in the eight-strong field comprises Davenport, world number three Maria Sharapova [Images], Switzerland's [Images] Patty Schnyder and Russia's Nadia Petrova.

Pierce's return to the top of the sport has been aided by a clean bill of health after the injuries that burdened her after her 2000 title at Roland Garros.

REALLY PROUD

"I'm really proud of my year," added Pierce, who became the first player of 30 or older to reach a Grand Slam final since Martina Navratilova in 1994. She is 31 in January.

"Part of me is surprised -- it's been unbelievable. I believed I could do it again, I wanted to do it, but you never know."

"One of my goals was to play the Championships again before I retired and to actually have qualified and been a force, that's a positive statement," added Pierce, who last qualified for the Championships in 1999.

It has been 18 years since Navratilova reigned as the world number one in her thirties, the last player to do so.

Current number one Davenport is 29.

"It would be funny [to reach number one]," said Pierce. "But why not? Experience helps and if you are dedicated and disciplined you never know what can happen.

"I believe in giving your best at every moment and seeing where it takes you."

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