The youngest in the singles main draw is Russian debutant Svetlana Kuznetsova (19 years and 3 months). Vera Zvonareva and Nadia Petrova bring the Russian seeded contingent to five. No 3 seed is Anastasia Myskina, No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 5 Elena Dementieva, No. 6 and 7 Zvonareva and Petrova. Unlike other years only one American is playing Filderstadt, Lindsay Davenport.

Today one of the Russians will be ousted when Zvonareva meets Likhovtseva in the first match of today.  The have not played each other before in an official match. The 29-years-old Elena Likhovtseva is currently ranked at No. 27 her nine years younger opponent is standing at No. 11 of the WTA ranking. Likhovtseva is not only leading in age, she is also ahead in titles winning three; Gold Coast in 1997, Montpellier in 1993 and Forrest Hills this year. Vera Zvonareva won two tournaments: Bol in 2003 and Memphis this year.

The Russian meeting will be followed by the match between American qualifier Lilia Osterloh and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. The 21-year-old Hantuchova, currently ranked No. 34 is leading the head-to-head against the No. 126 ranked Osterloh (age 26) 1-0. They had their last meeting in Filderstadt 2001 where Hantuchova won 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the qualification. Both players are still left without a WTA title. Hantuchova was runner-up in this years Eastbourne tournament, reaching her first final in 20 months as an unseeded Wild Card defeated by No.2 seed Kuznetsova.

To reach the final she defeated No.3 seed Sugiyama in the quarterfinal and world No. 4 Mauresmo in the semifinal in three sets. In the final match she was serving for the match in the second set at 5-4 but still was defeated in three sets by Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2-6, 7-6 (2) and 6-4.

Also playing today are:

Mary Pierce of France vs. Paola Suarez of Argentina

Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia vs. Marlene Weingartner of Germany.

Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria vs. Nathalie Dechy of France.