Silvia Farina Elia


Silvia Farina Elia is a former professional tennis player from Italy. She won three WTA singles titles, reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 Wimbledon Championships and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 11 in May 2002. Farina Elia 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 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 No. 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 Italy at nine Federation Cups and also at three Olympics.
On Monday 24 October 2005 she announced her retirement from the tour due a recurrence of a shoulder, saying, "My body has given all it can."

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 22 September 1999 and described the prospect of life after tennis as "exciting".

WTA career finals

Singles: 13 (3–10)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentDateOpponentScore
Runner-up1.21 July 1991San MarinoClay Katia Piccolini6–2, 6–3
Runner-up2.11 January 1998Auckland, New ZealandHard Dominique van Roost4–6, 7–6, 7–5
Runner-up3.26 April 1998Budapest, HungaryClay Virginia Ruano Pascual6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up4.19 July 1998Warsaw, PolandClay Conchita Martínez6–0, 6–3
Runner-up5.1 November 1998Luxembourg City, LuxembourgCarpet Mary Pierce6–0, 2–0 ret.
Runner-up6.14 February 1999Prostějov, Czech RepublicCarpet Henrieta Nagyová7–6, 6–4
Runner-up7.7 January 2001Gold Coast, AustraliaHard Justine Henin7–6, 6–4
Winner1.26 May 2001Strasbourg, FranceClay Anke Huber7–5, 0–6, 6–4
Winner2.25 May 2002Strasbourg, FranceClay Jelena Dokić6–4, 3–6, 6–3
Winner3.24 May 2003Strasbourg, FranceClay Karolina Šprem6–3, 4–6, 6–4
Runner-up8.17 January 2004Canberra, AustraliaHard Paola Suárez3–6, 6–4, 7–6
Runner-up9.22 February 2004Antwerp, BelgiumHard Kim Clijsters6–3, 6–0
Runner-up10.10 April 2005Amelia Island, United StatesClay Lindsay Davenport7–5, 7–5

Doubles: 17 (9–8)

;Wins
;Runners-up

Singles (2–1)

OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Runner-up1.29 October 1990Putignano, ItalyClay Nathalie Baudone2–6, 4–6
Winner2.24 June 1991Caltagirone, ItalyClay Ann Devries7–5, 6–3
Winner3.5 April 1993Limoges, FranceCarpet Laurence Courtois6–3, 6–3

Doubles (6–2)

Head-to-head record against other players in the top 10

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