The Spanish tennis player Conchita Martinez won her carrer's 700th victory on Monday against the Chinese Sun Tiantian in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat in the first round of the WTA tournament in Charleston.

The Spaniard reached against Sun, who ranks 117 in the professional circuit, a record she almost obtained when facing theworld's number one player, the Belgian Justine Henin, in the Amelia Island tournament, when she was only two points away from victory.

Monday's triumph placed Conchita within the group of seven playera who have won in their carrers more than 700 matches. This list includes Martina Navratilova, with 1,400 victories; Chris Evert, with 1,304; Steffi Graf, with 900; Virginia Wade, with 839;Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, with 759 and Evone Goolagong, with 704. Besides, Conchita is ahead of Billie Jean King, who won 695 games;Gabriela Sabatini, whose victories amounted to 632; and Pam Shriver, who gained 625 games.

Conchita obtained the crown of the WTA's Charleston tournament in 1994 and 1995 and is now to face whoever wins the contest between the Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn and the US Teryn Ashley.