Strasbourg, France, 20 May 2017 | tennis.com.au

Sam Stosur is a late wildcard entrant into the WTA Strasbourg tournament as she seeks claycourt preparation ahead of Roland Garros.

Stosur is a former champion (2015) at the red claycourt event, staged the week before the French Open.

The Queenslander is seeded sixth at this year’s edition and will open against China’s Duan Ying-ying.

This week she fell in the first round of the Italian Open in Rome after reaching the third round in Madrid, where she pushed eventual champion Simona Halep to three sets. She also fell in the first round in Stuttgart and second round in Prague.

Stosur reached the semifinals at last year’s French Open, capping a brilliant claycourt season during which she went 16-5.

Fellow Australian Daria Gavrilova is also in the draw in Strasbourg; seeded No.7, she will tackle American Louisa Chirico in round one.

Should she win her Rome quarterfinal on Friday over Kiki Bertens, Gavrilova would overtake Stosur as Australia’s No.1.

Stosur has held the position uninterrupted since October 2008.