LAURA GRANVILLE Number 31 seed

FACTFILE DOB: 12.05.1981 Nationality: American World ranking: 31 Roland Garros record 2002:: n/a 2001:: n/a 2000:: n/a 1999:: n/a

Granville, a former US college number one, is seeded for her first appearance in the main draw at Roland Garros.

The little-known American, her country's number 10, has perhaps not received the recognition she deserves for her excellent progress over the past 12 months.

Until April last year, she played almost exclusively on the ITF circuit before she registered her first big match win at Wimbledon where, having qualified, she defeated Mary Pierce in the first round.

By the end of the season, she had broken into the world's top 50 and this year she reached her first semi-final in Memphis and also made the last eight in Scottsdale.