Silvia Farina Elia

Infobox Tennis player
playername = Silvia Farina Elia


country = ITA
residence = Rome, Italy
datebirth = birth date and age|1972|4|27
placebirth = Milan, Italy
height = height|m=1.72
weight = convert|62|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
turnedpro = 1988
retired= October 24, 2005
plays = Right
careerprizemoney = $3,688,252
singlesrecord = 469–370
singlestitles = 3
highestsinglesranking = 11 (May 20, 2002)
AustralianOpenresult = 4R (2004, 2005)
FrenchOpenresult = 4R (2001, 2002)
Wimbledonresult = QF (2003)
USOpenresult = 4R (2002)
doublesrecord = 269–255
doublestitles = 8
highestdoublesranking = No. 24 (June 21, 1999)
updated= October 12, 2007

Silvia Farina Elia (born April 27, 1972 in Milan, Italy) is a retired female tennis player from Italy. She reached a career high of World No. 11 on 20 May, 2002. She won her first ITF title at Caltagirone in 1991 and her first WTA tournament at Strasbourg in 2001. She made her début Grand Slam appearance at the 1991 French Open and was coached by husband Francesco Elia, whom she married September 1999.

Career

Farina Elia made steady progression on the ITF circuit during the early 1990s and finished her first year in the top 100 in 1991. She completed her first victory over a top ten player (Gabriela Sabatini, Roland Garros) in 1994 and won her first doubles title the next year. In 1996, she represented Italy at the Atlanta Olympics. 1998 was considered her breakthrough year, reaching the final of four tournaments and in the process securing a place in the year end top 20. She was 26 at the time and thus considered a "late bloomer". She only reached one singles final in 1999 but made a greater impact in doubles, winning three tournaments.

In 2001 Farina Elia won a belated first WTA Tour title, at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. She ended the year #14, what was to be her best year end finish and played in the WTA Tour Championships of 2001 and 2002. She consolidated the Strasbourg win with two more wins at the tournament. In 2003 she achieved her best Grand Slam result at the unlikely venue of Wimbledon, home of her least favourite surface, losing to Kim Clijsters, 7–5, 0–6, 1–6 in the quarterfinals.

Farina Elia represented the Italy Fed Cup team at nine Federation Cups and also represented Italy at three Olympics.

On Monday October 24, 2005 she announced her retirement from the WTA Tour due a recurrence of a shoulder, saying, "My body has given all it can." [ [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411317/622587 Farina-Elia announces retirement | TENNIS | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz ] ]

Personal life

Farina Elia began playing tennis aged 10; introduced to the sport by her mother who played recreationally. Her parents are both insurance agents, as is her sister, Olga. Her brother, Enrico, restores furniture. She married Francesco Elia on September 22, 1999 and described the prospect of life after tennis as "exciting". [ [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/NewsArticle_8300_rx.asp Sony Ericsson WTA Tour ] ]

Titles (12)

ingles (3)

Does not include ITF titles.

Doubles (9)

*2004: Warsaw (w/ Francesca Schiavone)
*2001: Strasbourg (w/ Iroda Tulyaganova)
*2000: Palermo (w/ Rita Grande)
*1999: Auckland (w/ Barbara Schett)
*1999: 's Hertogenbosch (w/ Rita Grande)
*1999: Portschach (w/ Karina Habšudová)
*1998: Prague (w/ Karina Habšudová)
*1997: Palermo (w/ Barbara Schett)
*1995: Maria Lankowitz (with Andrea Temesvári)

Doubles Finalist (8)

*2005: Gold Coast (w/ Maria Elena Camerin)
*2004: Paris (w/ Francesca Schiavone)
*2003: Linz (w/ Marion Bartoli)
*2000: Hannover (w/ Karina Habšudová)
*1997: Gold Coast (w/ Ruxandra Dragomir)
*1996: Moscow (w/ Barbara Schett
*1993: Palermo (w/ Brenda Schultz)
*1990: Taranto (w/ Rita Grande)

References

External links

*wta|id=60061
*FedCupplayerlink|id=20001945