Natalia Zvereva defeated Ai Sugiyama 6-2 6-3 in the Tokyo round of 16 on hard. The upset overturned the form book — Ai Sugiyama came in leading the head-to-head 1–0. Natalia Zvereva claimed a first win over Ai Sugiyama in two meetings, narrowing the head-to-head to 1–1.
| Date | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-27 | Kremlin Cup | R32 | carpet | Ai Sugiyama | 6-4 7-6 |
Averages over each player's completed matches in the selected window. ATP, WTA & Challenger.