Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Sabine Appelmans 6-3 6-4 in the Rome round of 16 on clay. The upset overturned the form book — Sabine Appelmans came in leading the head-to-head 2–0. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario claimed a first win over Sabine Appelmans in three meetings, narrowing the head-to-head to 2–1.
| Date | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-03-20 | Miami | R32 | hard | Sabine Appelmans | 6-3 7-5 |
| 1997-03-01 | Fed Cup WG1 QF: BEL vs ESP | RR | hard | Sabine Appelmans | 6-3 2-6 8-6 |