Born: 1/4/75 Nationality: Bulgarian Seeded: 10 World ranking: 11 US Open best: Quarter-final (1992) Recent record: 2002: 3rd round 2001: 2nd round 2000: 2nd round

Magdalena Maleeva enjoyed one of her best ever seasons in 2002, winning her first WTA Tier 1 tournament in eight years in Moscow.

The youngest of three tennis-playing sisters, she first burst on to the scene in 1992 when she reached the quarter-finals of the US Open, defeating Martina Navratilova in the second round.

It took the Bulgarian until 1995 to reach the world's top 10 when she won three titles in a season, and at the beginning of the 1996 season she reached her career-high ranking of fourth.

Injury has since stunted her progress until last season when she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

However, she has not fared so well in New York and has not reached the last 16 since 1994.

Maleeva's popularity with her peers was evident when she was elected as top 20 representative on the WTA Tour Players' Council to replace the retired Martina Hingis.