Kristina Brandi

Kristina Brandi (born March 29, 1977) is a former Puerto Rican tennis player. She was the first tennis player representing Puerto Rico to win a singles match in an Olympic tennis match.

Kristina Brandi

Country (sports)	Puerto Rico
Born	(1977-03-29) March 29, 1977 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Turned pro	1995
Retired	2007
Plays	Right-handed
Prize money	$ 1,248,528
Singles
Career record	441–333
Career titles	1 WTA, 16 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 27 (4 December 2000)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	4R (2000)
French Open	2R (2000, 2005)
Wimbledon	4R (2000)
US Open	2R (1996, 2000, 2004)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2004)
Doubles
Career record	48–86
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 246 (June 19, 1995)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2006)
French Open	1R (2005)
Wimbledon	1R (2005)
US Open	1R (1999, 2005)
Medal record Pan American Games 2003 Santo Domingo Doubles 2003 Santo Domingo Singles

Early years

Brandi was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she became interested in the sport of tennis at an early age. She made her professional debut in 1995 when she was 17 years old.[1] Her father is Joe Brandi, who coached Pete Sampras.

USTA Circuit

In 2003, Brandi won the most titles of any woman on the "USTA Circuit". She took home trophies from six events. Brandi was a member of the 2003 Puerto Rican Fed Cup Team where she captured the singles championship at the $75,000 event in Albuquerque, New Mexico plus, the $50,000 event in Troy, Alabama and $25,000 in Peachtree City, Georgia.[2]

2004 Olympics

Brandi represented Puerto Rico in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She became the first tennis player representing Puerto Rico to win a singles match in an Olympic when she beat Jelena Kostanić from Croatia (7–5 and 6–1). She lost in the second round to Russian Anastasia Myskina.[3]

Some of Brandi's career highlights are: High rank for singles 27 on January 1, 2001; High rank for doubles on June 19, 1995; Career titles for singles: 1; Career matches won: 79; Career matches lost: 99; Career prize money $845, 170.[2]

Later years

Kristina Brandi resides in Tampa, Florida and continued to be active in the WTA tours for many years after the 2004 Olympic Games.

Brandi defended her ITF-Surbiton title defeating Laura Granville from the USA. Brandi's grass season plans for 2006 included the Main Draw of the Birmingham Tournament at the WTA Tour level as well as the qualifying tournament at Eastbourne before heading to compete in the Wimbledon main draw.

Brandi, who has since retired, is the niece of Andy Brandi who played for the Trinity Tigers men's tennis team in NCAA Division I competition.[4]

WTA Tour finals

Legend

Grand Slam

WTA Tour Championship

Tier I

Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV and V

Singles (1 title)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	June 20, 1999	's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands	Grass	Silvija Talaja	6–0, 3–6, 6–1

ITF Singles Finals 25 (16-9)

Legend $100,000 tournaments $75,000 tournaments $50,000 tournaments $25,000 tournaments $10,000 tournaments

Titles by surface Hard (13–7) Clay (0–0) Grass (3–0) Carpet (0–0)

Outcome	No.	Date	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	4 July 1994	Indianapolis, United States	Hard	Mashona Washington	6–1, 6–3
Runner-up	2.	25 July 1994	Roanoke, United States	Hard	Keiko Nagatomi	6–7, 3–6
Runner-up	3.	9 October 1995	Sedona, United States	Hard	Tami Whitlinger	4–6, 4–6
Runner-up	4.	6 April 1997	Phoenix, United States	Hard	Li Fang	1–6, 2–6
Winner	5.	26 January 1998	Clearwater, United States	Hard	Mashona Washington	6–1, 6–2
Winner	6.	5 April 1998	Phoenix, United States	Hard	Lilia Osterloh	6–0, 6–4
Winner	7.	20 July 1998	Peachtree, United States	Hard	Anne Kremer	6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	8.	2 August 1998	Salt Lake City, United States	Hard	Mariaan de Swardt	2–6, 2–6
Winner	9.	1 November 1998	Austin, United States	Hard	Meilen Tu	3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Winner	10.	1 August 1999	Salt Lake City, United States	Hard	Li Fang	6–4, 6–3
Runner-up	11.	30 April 2000	Sarasota, United States	Hard	Meghann Shaughnessy	1–6, 3–6
Runner-up	12.	4 June 2001	Surbiton, United Kingdom	Grass	Rika Fujiwara	3–6, 3–6
Winner	13.	13 May 2003	Charlottesville, United States	Clay	Christina Wheeler	4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Winner	14.	8 June 2003	Surbiton, United Kingdom	Grass	Cho Yoon-jeong	6–1, 6–3
Winner	15.	08 July 2003	College Park, United States	Hard	Lioudmila Skavronskaia	6–1, 6–1
Winner	16.	28 July 2003	Louisville, United States	Hard	Shenay Perry	3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Winner	17.	14 September 2003	Peachtree, United States	Hard	Allison Bradshaw	6–0, 6–1
Winner	18.	22 September 2003	Albuquerque, United States	Hard	Milagros Sequera	6–2, 6–2
Winner	19.	5 October 2003	Troy, United States	Hard	Maria Elena Camerin	7–6^(9–7), 6–3
Runner-up	20.	19 October 2003	Sedona, United States	Hard	Samantha Reeves	5–7, 6–1, 4–6
Winner	21.	4 June 2005	Surbiton, United Kingdom	Grass	Laura Granville	6–3, 6–1
Runner-up	22.	2 October 2005	Ashland, United States	Hard	Napaporn Tongsalee	4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Winner	23.	16 October 2005	San Francisco, United States	Hard	Lilia Osterloh	5–7, 6–4, 6–4
Winner	24.	10 June 2006	Surbiton, United Kingdom	Grass	Laura Granville	7–5, 6–0
Runner-up	25.	19 September 2006	Albuquerque, United States	Hard	Ahsha Rolle	2–6, 4–6

Doubles: 6 (1–5)

$100,000 tournaments

$75,000 tournaments

$50,000 tournaments

$25,000 tournaments

$10,000 tournaments

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	20 June 1994	Hilton Head Island, United States	Clay	Karin Miller	Angela Lettiere Stacy Sheppard	6–4, 2–6, 6–7
Winner	2.	4 July 1994	Indianapolis, United States	Hard	Karin Miller	Angela Lettiere Vera Vitels	6–2, 4–6, 7–6
Runner-up	3.	25 July 1994	Roanoke, United States	Hard	Karin Miller	Gail Biggs Claudine Toleafoa	6–4, 3–6, 5–7
Runner-up	4.	1 February 1998	Clearwater, United States	Hard	Karin Miller	Maureen Drake Renata Kolbovic	6–4, 3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	5.	10 September 2002	Peachtree, United States	Hard	Allison Baker	Jennifer Russell Christina Wheeler	2–6, 6–7^(3–7)
Runner-up	6.	8 July 2003	College Park, United States	Hard	Kim Grant	Jennifer Russell Lisa McShea	2–6, 6–4, 5–7

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
• History of women in Puerto Rico
• Sports in Puerto Rico

References

1. Tennis
2. Sports Illustrated
3. Olympic results
4. Paul Jenkins, "Gators hire new women's tennis coach," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1D & 4D (August 22, 1984). Retrieved June 16, 2011.

External links

• Kristina Brandi at the Women's Tennis Association
• Kristina Brandi at the International Tennis Federation
• Kristina Brandi at the Fed Cup