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PARIS - Tamarine Tanasugarn has backed injured Thai compatriot Paradorn Srichaphan to make a full recovery from injury and push once again for a top ten place.

Paradorn, a former world number nine, has slumped to 78 in the world after a season decimated by a wrist injury which has sidelined him from the French Open, the ongoing second Grand Slam event of the season, and kept him off the tour since retiring from his first round match in Miami in March.

"We all want to see him make a full recovery and come back into the sport," said Tamarine.

"We really miss him and all Thai tennis fans want to see him play. He has the potential to get back to the top 10 but the first thing is to make sure that he is free of injury.

"That's the most important thing."

Paradorn has played just five tournaments in 2007 and won just one match - his season opener in Chennai in January when he beat Italy's Simone Bolelli.

The 27-year-old was beaten by Austria's Stefan Koubek in the second round in India after which he lost three successive first rounds before injury struck at the Miami Masters where he retired 5-2 down against Peru's Luis Horna.

In the meantime, he has also lost his position as the best player in Asia to South Korea's Lee Hyung-Taik.

"It will be good to have Paradorn back. For a long time, we were the only two Thai players on the tour and we often talked on the phone about the game," said Tamarine who almost saw her French Open campaign sunk on Tuesday by her own wrist injury.

She believes that her problem has been caused by carrying too much luggage.

The world number 68, who turned 30 just five days ago, needed treatment on her arm midway through her opening 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Australian wildcard Casey Dellacqua.

"I hurt it carrying luggage and it was really sore when I was playing in Rome," said Tamarine.

"Sometimes it hurts now, sometimes it doesn't."

Tamarine, who is playing in her 10th French Open, next faces Italian 28th seed Mara Santangelo with the tantalising prospect of a third round match-up with triple Roland Garros champion Justine Henin should she make it through.

Tamarine's win was the only French Open highlight for Asia on Tuesday.

Her compatriot Danai Udomchoke was a first round loser going down to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Belgium's Kristof Vliegen while Lee lost 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to Argentinian 15th seed David Nalbandian, a beaten semi-finalist in 2006.

China's Zheng Jie, who made the fourth round here in 2005, lost 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 to Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky.

Zheng came into Paris under an injury cloud having been hit by a right ankle problem and lost in the first round of the Italian and German Opens.

Agence France-Presse