AI SUGIYAMA Number 16 seed

FACTFILE DOB: 05.07.1975 Nationality: Japanese World ranking: 16 Roland Garros record 2002:: second round 2001:: first round 2000:: fourth round 1999:: second round

Japan's number one player has been one of the world's best doubles exponents for some years but this season she has proved she can be an equally potent singles player.

She boosted her confidence with a quarter-final run in Antwerp, defeating Jelena Dokic in the process.

Then at the Tier 1 event in Scottsdale, she upset world number two Kim Clijsters and former world number one Lindsay Davenport before picking up her fourth WTA singles title.

But her progress in singles, along with her dedication to the doubles game, has come at a cost and she had to pull out of the first clay-court event of season because of fatigue.

Her game is not best suited to clay, but she reached the semi-finals of the Italian Masters, losing to eventual winner Kim Clijsters and has twice reached the fourth round at Roland Garros.