Mara Santangelo

Mara Santangelo (born 28 June 1981) is a retired tennis player from Italy.

Mara Santangelo
Country (sports) Italy
ResidenceRome, Italy
Born (1981-06-28) 28 June 1981
Latina, Lazio, Italy
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro1998
Retired28 January 2011
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,691,518
Singles
Career record286–238
Career titles1 WTA, 8 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 27 (9 July 2007)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open4R (2004)
French Open3R (2007)
Wimbledon3R (2007)
US Open3R (2006)
Doubles
Career record219–143
Career titles9 WTA, 14 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 5 (10 September 2007)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenSF (2009)
French OpenW (2007)
WimbledonSF (2007)
US Open3R (2007)
Team competitions
Fed CupW (2006)

Tennis career
Mara Santangelo

Santangelo reached the fourth round at the 2004 Australian Open, defeating 16th-seeded Magüi Serna, Barbara Schett, and 19th-seeded Eleni Daniilidou—losing to eventual champion and world No. 1 Justine Henin after having been up 4–2 in the second set. She also won her first WTA title in 2006, defeating Jelena Kostanić in the final, her first victory on the WTA-level.

She took a set from top-seeded Amélie Mauresmo in the third round of the 2006 US Open, and led 2–0 in the deciding set, only to lose the next six games. She also defeated Anastasia Myskina in 2006, her first win over a top-20 player. She and her Italian team mates Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, and Roberta Vinci beat the Belgian team 3–2 in the 2006 Fed Cup final. Justine Henin had to retire in the fifth and final match because of an injury in her right knee, which let Italy win their first Fed Cup trophy.[1]

Despite holding match points in both matches, Santangelo lost to Agnieszka Radwańska and Dinara Safina in successive first rounds at Luxembourg and Stuttgart respectively, in three set matches. In Moscow, Santangelo lost in the first round to Iveta Benešová in another three-setter. In Linz, Santangelo defeated Alona Bondarenko; she lost to eventual semifinalist Nicole Vaidišová. At her final tournament of the year in Hasselt, Santangelo retired while 5–2 down against Michaëlla Krajicek in the first round. She ended the year ranked world No. 31, a new career high.

Santangelo was still recovering from injury when 2007 commenced. At her first tournament in Hobart, she defeated countrywoman Maria Elena Camerin in the first round, losing to Catalina Castaño in the second round. At the Australian Open, Santangelo drew then-world No. 81 eventual champion Serena Williams in the first round, losing in two sets. Santangelo reached her first quarterfinal of the year at the Tier IV Pattaya City tournament, losing to Sania Mirza in straight sets. At her very next tournament, the Tier III Bangalore, as the defending champion, Santangelo made the final for the second straight year, where she lost to Yaroslava Shvedova in the final.

In Doha during the second round, Santangelo faced fellow countrywoman Francesca Schiavone, and led 6–4, 6–6(6–5), but lost 4–6, 7–6, 1–0 retired after dropping a match point. She rebounded during her next tournament, however, in Key Biscayne, defeating Jelena Janković in the third round in three sets – which was the first top 10 victory of her career. She lost in the round of 16 to Anna Chakvetadze. Reaching the fourth round of Key Biscayne has thus far been the best showing of Santangelo's in a high-tier event.

During the clay court season, Santangelo defeated Nadia Petrova in the second round of Warsaw, for her second career top-10 victory, reaching her third quarterfinal of the year. She lost to eventual champion Henin. At the French Open, in singles, Santangelo reached the third round, losing to eventual champion Henin. For doubles, however, partnering Alicia Molik, she won the championship, winning her first Grand Slam title. The victory was her fourth title in doubles for the year, with four different partners at each championship.

In 2007 Wimbledon Championships, Santangelo was defeated in round three by the defending champion and fourth-seeded, Amélie Mauresmo, in 57 minutes. Santangelo took part in the 2007 Fed Cup final, where she was defeated by Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second rubber and by Elena Vesnina in the fourth rubber; Italy unsuccessfully defended its title and Russia won the trophy with a 4–0 score. Santangelo had to miss the warm-ups for the Australian Open and the Australian Open itself in 2008 because of a troublesome left foot injury. She also had to miss the Paris Indoors event and the Bangalore Open event, where she has previously won a WTA title and been a runner-up.

Santangelo returned from eight-month left foot injury lay-off in May; she reached the second round twice (including the 2008 Wimbledon Championships) and she won two ITF tournaments, Biella and Ortisei. At the Beijing Olympics, she was defeated by Dinara Safina in the first round.

In 2009, once again plagued by her foot injury, Santangelo won three doubles tournaments, all of them partnering Nathalie Dechy: ASB Classic, where they defeated Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja, the Monterrey Open with a two-sets win over Iveta Benešová and Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová and, finally, Strasbourg, defeating Claire Feuerstein and Stéphanie Foretz with a 6–0, 6–1 score. On 6 September, partnering Laura Olivieri, she won the 2009 European Beach Tennis Championships with a straight-sets win over the defending champions, Simona Briganti and Rossella Stefanelli.[2]

In May 2010, Santangelo announced her decision to compete in doubles events only, citing her recurrent left foot injury as the main cause that persuaded her to renounce to play singles matches.[3] On 28 January 2011, she declared her retirement from professional tennis due to recurring injuries with her left foot.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 1 (1–0)
Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner2007French OpenClay Alicia Molik Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		7–6(7–5), 6–4

WTA career finals

Singles: 2 (1–1)
Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
Tour Championships (0–0)
Tier I (0–0)
Tier II (0–0)
Tier III (1–1)
Tier IV & V (0–0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1. 19 February 2006 Bangalore Hard Jelena Kostanić 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–3
Runner-up 1. 18 February 2007 Bangalore Hard Yaroslava Shvedova 4–6, 4–6

Doubles: 12 (9–3)
Legend: Before 2009Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam tournaments (1–0)
Tour Championships (0–0)
Tier I (1–0) Premier Mandatory (0–0)
Tier II (2–1) Premier 5 (0–0)
Tier III (1–0) Premier (0–0)
Tier IV & V (1–2) International (3–0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. 3 October 2004 Hasselt Hard (i) Jennifer Russell Nuria Llagostera Vives
Marta Marrero		 6–3, 7–5
Runner-up 1. 11 October 2004 Tashkent Hard Marion Bartoli Adriana Serra Zanetti
Antonella Serra Zanetti		 6–1, 3–6, 4–6
Runner-up 2. 8 August 2005 Stockholm Hard Eva Birnerová Émilie Loit
Katarina Srebotnik		 4–6, 3–6
Winner 2. 11 February 2007 Pattaya City Hard Nicole Pratt Chan Yung-jan
Chuang Chia-jung		 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Winner 3. 8 April 2007 Amelia Island Clay Katarina Srebotnik Anabel Medina Garrigues
Virginia Ruano Pascual		 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Winner 4. 20 May 2007 Rome Clay Nathalie Dechy Tathiana Garbin
Roberta Vinci		 6–4, 6–1
Winner 5. 8 June 2007 French Open Clay Alicia Molik Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 7–6(7–5), 6–4
Runner-up 3. 19 August 2007 Los Angeles Hard Alicia Molik Květa Peschke
Rennae Stubbs		 0–6, 1–6
Winner 6. 25 August 2007 New Haven Hard Sania Mirza Cara Black
Liezel Huber		 6–1, 6–2
Winner 7. 10 January 2009 Auckland Hard Nathalie Dechy Nuria Llagostera Vives
Arantxa Parra Santonja		 4–6, 7–6(7–3), [12–10]
Winner 8. 8 March 2009 Monterrey Hard Nathalie Dechy Iveta Benešová
Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová		 6–3, 6–4
Winner 9. 18 May 2009 Strasbourg Clay Nathalie Dechy Claire Feuerstein
Stéphanie Foretz		 6–0, 6–1

ITF finals

Singles (8-4)
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 14 August 2000 Aosta, Italy Clay Andreea Ehritt-Vanc 1-6 6-0 6-1
Winner 2. 27 August 2000 Cuneo, Italy Clay Edith Nunes 6-2 3-6 6-3
Runner-up 3. 24 June 2002 Fontanafredda, Italy Clay Alona Bondarenko 3-6 0-6
Winner 4. 25 August 2002 Maribor, Slovenia Clay Edina Gallovits-Hall 6-2 6-3
Runner-up 5. 8 September 2002 Fano, Italy Clay Flavia Pennetta 6-3 4-6 0-6
Runner-up 6. 20 October 2002 Joué-lès-Tours, France Hard (i) Camille Pin 6-2 3-6 0-6
Winner 7. 2 February 2003 Ortisei, Italy Carpet (i) Sofia Arvidsson 2-6 6-2 6-2
Winner 8. 29 March 2005 Poza Rica, Mexico Hard Ryōko Fuda 3-6 6-2 6-0
Winner 9. 26 April 2005 Taranto, Italy Clay Kira Nagy 6–1 6–0
Runner-up 10. 23 October 2005 Saint Raphael, France Hard (i) Maret Ani 3-6 5-7
Winner 11. 20 July 2008 Biella, Italy Clay Jelena Kostanić Tošić 6-3 6-1
Winner 12. 19 October 2008 Urtijëi, Italy Carpet (i) Kristina Barrois 6-3 ret.

Doubles (14–5)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 16 August 1998 Alghero, Italy Hard Laura Dell'Angelo Alessia Lombardi
Elena Pioppo		 6-3, 2-6, 4-6
Winner 2. 14 September 1998 Reggio di Calabria, Italy Clay Katia Altilia Andreea Ehritt-Vanc
Elena Pioppo		 7–6(3), 4–6, 6–4
Winner 3. 26 September 1999 Horb, Germany Clay Rewa Hudson Eva Fislová
Andrea Šebová		 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 4. 30 August 1999 Zadar, Croatia Clay Natasha Galouza Jana Macurová
Olga Vymetálková		 1–6, 3–6
Winner 5. 13 September 1999 Biograd na Moru, Croatia Clay Natasha Galouza Silvia Uríčková
Eva Fislová		 6–2, 6–2
Winner 6. 4 October 1999 Girona, Spain Clay Maria Wolfbrandt Marina Escobar
Rocio Gonzalez		 6–7(3), 6–1, 6–3
Winner 7. 10 April 2000 Hvar, Croatia Clay Marijana Kovačević Zuzana Hejdová
Petra Kučová		 6–3, 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 8. 30 April 2000 Cerignola, Italy Clay Maria Elena Camerin Maria Boboedova
Liudmila Nikoyan		 walkover
Winner 9. 20 August 2000 Aosta, Italy Clay Maria Elena Camerin Oana-Elena Golimbioschi
Andreea Ehritt-Vanc		 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
Winner 10. 27 August 2000 Cuneo, Italy Clay Maria Elena Camerin Silvia Disderi
Anna Floris		 7-5, 6-2
Winner 11. 3 September 2000 Spoleto, Italy Clay Maria Elena Camerin Oana-Elena Golimbioschi
Andreea Ehritt-Vanc		 walkover
Winner 12. 30 September 2000 Tbilisi, Georgia Clay Mariana Díaz Oliva Jolanda Mens
Alena Paulenková		 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 13. 21 July 2003 Innsbruck, Austria Clay Melinda Czink Kira Nagy
Maria Wolfbrandt		 4–6, 6–4, 4–6
Runner-up 14. 18 August 2003 Bronx, United States Hard Selima Sfar Yuliya Beygelzimer
Tatiana Poutchek		 4–6, 5–7
Winner 15. 14 September 2003 Denain, France Clay Antonella Serra Zanetti Yuliya Beygelzimer
Tatiana Poutchek		 7–5, 6–3
Winner 16. 12 October 2003 Latina, Italy Clay Roberta Vinci Maret Ani
Libuše Průšová		 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
Winner 17. 2 April 2005 Poza Rica, Mexico Hard Seda Noorlander Daniela Klemenschits
Sandra Klemenschits		 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
Winner 18. 5 June 2005 Prostějov, Czech Republic Clay Yuliya Beygelzimer Dája Bedáňová
Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová		 6–1, 4–6, 6–2
Winner 19. 3 August 2008 Rimini, Italy Clay Roberta Vinci Stefanie Vögele
Kathrin Wörle		 6–1, 6–4

Grand Slam performance timelines

Singles
Tournament2003200420052006200720082009W-L
Australian Open LQ 4R 1R 3R 1R A 1R 5–5
French Open LQ 1R 1R 2R 3R 1R 1R 3–6
Wimbledon LQ 1R 2R 1R 3R 2R LQ 4–5
US Open 1R 1R 1R 3R 1R A A 2–5

Doubles
Tournament200420052006200720082009W–L
Australian Open 1R QF 1R 1R A SF 7–5
French Open 2R 1R 2R W 1R 1R 8–5
Wimbledon 3R 2R 2R SF 1R 1R 8–6
US Open 1R 1R 2R 3R 2R A 4–5

Head-to-head record against top players

Players who have been ranked world No. 1 are in boldface.

gollark: Maaaaybe they could just not burn things in general?
gollark: I'm hoping people will get more used to not having to actually be physically at some place to work.
gollark: It should probably be "other than that they are lazy", but... again, does it matter?
gollark: Technically, it's a group of people then a verb in a contracted form.
gollark: It is they're, but who cares.

References
  1. Italy wins the Fed Cup for the first time Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, fedcup.com, 17 September
  2. 2009 European Beach Tennis Championships completed, itf.com, 8 September 2009
  3. , 26 May 2010
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