Sabine Appelmans defeated Ai Sugiyama 6-2 4-6 6-2 in the Zurich round of 32 on hard. The upset overturned the form book — Ai Sugiyama came in leading the head-to-head 2–1, defending last year's round of 32. Sabine Appelmans narrowed the head-to-head to 2–2.
| Date | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-10-21 | Moscow | R32 | hard | Ai Sugiyama | 6-3 7-6(5) |
| 1999-05-03 | Rome | R64 | clay | Sabine Appelmans | 7-5 6-4 |
| 1996-12-30 | Hope Island | QF | hard | Ai Sugiyama | 6-2 3-6 7-6 |
Averages over each player's completed matches in the selected window. ATP, WTA & Challenger.