The Thai ace, with a 0-5 record on the slow surface this year, has a slim chance against the American, who has a 5-1 head-to-head record.

Their last meeting came in Las Vegas in February and it was the big-hitting Blake who prevailed in straight sets 7-6 (7-3) 6-0. Paradorn's only success over the American was in the 2003 final in Long Island, where he won the maiden trophy of his career.

Blake played in three clay court events this year and bowed out in the first round in Houston and Rome before reaching the third round in Hamburg. He met the Thai on clay once in a Challenger in Bermuda back in 2001 and conceded just a game.

Since joining the pro tour in 1997, Paradorn managed to win only 10 out of 42 matches on clay. After a surprise semi-final berth in the Indian Wells Masters Series, he crashed out in the first round on six occasions.

Paradorn will be the only Thai in action at Roland Garros this year. Tamarine Tanasugarn, Suchanan Viratprasert and Danai Udomchoke could have participated in the qualifying round but opted to play in smaller tournaments due to their distaste for clay.

This will be Tamarine's first absence from a Grand Slam in nine years. She and Suchanan are playing a Challenger in China while Danai is committed to play in South Korea.

Napaporn in semis

nA resurgent Napaporn Tongsalee stormed into the semi-finals of the US$50,000 (Bt1.9 million) Chinese Women's Circuit in Beijing after thrashing countrywoman Monthinee Tangphong 6-4 6-2 yesterday.

With the easy victory, the eighth-seeded Napaporn has settled a score with her young compatriot, who pipped her 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) in a Challenger in Minnesota in April. It is Napaporn's second appearance in the semi-final of a US$50,000 Challenger after winning in Kentucky last September.

Top seed Tamarine Tanasugarn, however, failed to live up to her billing, losing to unfancied Yan-Chong Chen of China 6-2 6-3. Tamarine, clearly affected by the tough second round match against Veronika Chvojkova on Thursday, was down 0-5 in the second set before producing a late fight-back to 3-5.

Napaporn, ranked 273rd, is regaining her confidence after a lacklustre season. She arrived in the Chinese city after failing to get past the first round in seven tournaments.

In the match against Monthinee, she barely committed any unforced errors and fired a series of winners to keep her 21-year-old rival at bay. Napaporn managed a break in the 10th game to take the first set and was in complete control after going to 2-2 in the second set.

In today's semi-finals, Napaporn plays sixth-seeded Aniko Kapros of Hungary, who dismissed China's Shuai Zhang 7-5 6-2. Kapros is a former world No-44, and reached the Australian Open fourth round two years ago.