Italian Open Championships
Held on clay, in Milan until 1934, in Rome in '35, from '50 to '60, from '62 to '79, and from '87 forward, in Turin in '61, in Perugia from '80 to '84, in Taranto in '85
1930 Lili de Alvarez (Sp) d. Lucia Valerio 3-6 8-6 6-0
1931 Lucia Valerio d. Dorothy Burke (US) 2-6 6-2 6-2
1932 Ida Adamoff (Frn) d. Lucia Valerio 6-4 7-5
1933 Elizabeth Ryan (US) d. Ida Adamoff (Frn) 6-1 6-1
1934 Helen Jacobs (US) d. Lucia Valerio 6-3 6-0
1935 Hilde Sperling (Ger) d. Lucia Valerio 6-4 6-1
1936-1949 not held
1950 Annalissa Bossi d. Joan Curry (GB) 6-4 6-4
1951 Doris Hart (US) d. Shirley Fry (US) 6-3 8-6
1952 Susan Partridge (GB) d. Patricia Harrison (GB) 6-3 7-5
1953 Doris Hart (US) d. Maureen Connolly (US) 4-6 9-7 6-3
1954 Maureen Connolly (US) d. Pat Ward (GB) 6-3 6-0
1955 Pat Ward (GB) d. Erika Vollmer (Ger) 6-4 6-3
1956 Althea Gibson (US) d. Suzi Kormoczy (Hun) 6-3 7-5
1957 Shirley Bloomer (GB) d. Dottie Knode 1-6 9-7 6-2
1958 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Lorraine Coghlan (Aus) 3-6 6-3 6-3
1959 Christine Truman (GB) d. Sandra Reynolds (SA) 6-0 6-1
1960 Suzi Kormoczy (Hun) d. Ann Haydon (GB) 6-4 4-6 6-1
1961 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-4 6-4
1962 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Maria Bueno (Brz) 8-6 5-7 6-4
1963 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-3 6-4
1964 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-1 6-1
1965 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Nancy Richey (US) 6-1 1-6 6-3
1966 Ann Haydon Jones (GB) d. Annette van Zyl (SA) 8-6 6-1
1967 Lesley Turner (Aus) d. Maria Bueno (Brz) 6-3 6-3
1968 Lesley Turner (Aus) d. Margaret Smith Court (Aus) 6-2 2-6 6-3
1969 Julie Heldman (US) d. Kerry Melville (Aus) 7-5 6-4
1970 Billie-Jean King (US) d. Julie Heldman (US) 6-1 6-3
1971 Virginia Wade (GB) d. Helga Masthoff (Ger) 6-4 6-4
1972 Linda Tuero (US) d. Olga Morozova (USSR) 6-4 6-3
1973 Evonne Goolagong (Aus) d. Chris Evert (US) 7-6 6-0
1974 Chris Evert (US) d. Martina Navratilova (Cz) 6-3 6-3
1975 Chris Evert (US) d. Martina Navratilova (Cz) 6-1 6-0
1976 Mima Jausovec (Yug) d. Lesley Hunt (Aus) 6-1 6-3
1977 Janet Newberry (US) d. Renata Tomanova (Cz) 6-3 7-6
1978 Regina Marsikova (Cz) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 7-5 7-5
1979 Tracy Austin (US) d. Sylvia Hanika (Ger) 6-4 1-6 6-3
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 5-7 6-2 6-2
1981 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 6-1 6-2
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Hana Mandlikova (Cz) 6-0 6-3
1983 Andrea Temesvari (Hun) d. Bonnie Gadusek (US) 6-1 6-0
1984 Manuela Maleeva (Bul) d. Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) 6-3 6-3
1985 Raffaella Reggi d. Vicky Nelson (US) 6-4 6-4
1986 not held
1987 Steffi Graf (Ger) d. Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) 7-5 4-6 6-0
1988 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Helen Kelesi (Can) 6-1 6-7 6-1
1989 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Sp) 6-2 5-7 6-4
1990 Monica Seles (Yug) d. Martina Navratilova (US) 6-1 6-1
1991 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Monica Seles (Yug) 6-3 6-2
1992 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Monica Seles (Yug) 7-5 6-4
1993 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) 7-5 6-1
1994 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Martina Navratilova (US) 7-6 6-4
1995 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Sp) 6-3 6-1
1996 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Martina Hingis (Swt) 6-2 6-3
1997 Mary Pierce (Frn) d. Conchita Martinez (Sp) 6-4 6-0
1998 Martina Hingis (Swt) d. Venus Williams (US) 6-3 2-6 6-3
1999 Venus Williams (US) d. Mary Pierce (Frn) 6-4 6-2
2000 Monica Seles (US) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 6-2 7-6
2001 Jelena Dokic (Aus) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 7-6 6-1
2002 Serena Williams (US) d. Justine Hénin (Bel) 7-6 6-4
2003 Kim Clijsters (Bel) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 3-6 7-6 6-0
2004 Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) d. Jennifer Capriati (US) 3-6 6-3 7-6
2005 Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) d. Patty Schnyder (Swt) 2-6 6-3 6-4
2006 Martina Hingis (Swt) d. Dinara Safina (Rus) 6-2 7-5
2007 Jelena Jankovic (Ser) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 7-5 6-1
2008 Jelena Jankovic (Ser) d. Alize Cornet (Frn) 6-2 6-2
2009 Dinara Safina (Rus) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-3 6-2
2010 Maria José Martinez-Sanchez (Sp) d. Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 7-6 7-5
2011 Maria Sharapova (Rus) d. Sam Stosur(Aus) 6-2 6-4
Most Titles
05 Chris Evert------------Won 1974-1975 and 1980-82. Chris made the finals a record 7 times.
04 Conchita Martinez-----Won 1993-1996. A record 4 consecutive titles and 5 consecutive finals.
04 Gabriela Sabatini------Won 1988-89 and 1991-92. d #1 player 3 times-Navratilova(87),Seles (91-92)
03 Maria Bueno-----------Won 1958, 1961, and 1965
03 Margaret Smith Court--Won 1962-1964.
* Monica Seles won the title in 1990 and 2000-a record 10 year gap between singles titles.
*This event was one of the few major titles that ever eluded Martina Navratilova. Navratilova was a 4 time finalist-a record number of finals without winning the title. Martina played near the start (1974 and 1975 finals) and the end (1990 and 1994 finals-her last year on tour in singles) of her career, but skipped the Italian from 1976 to 1986, her peak years.
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The Italian Open is the youngest of the great national championships, having begun in 1930. In that inaugural year, Bill Tilden carried off the men’s title and Lilli de Alvarez the women’s crown. That first tournament and the four which followed it were held in Milan but in 1935 the event was moved to the Foro Italico in Rome. The stadium, which had been built in 1925 close to the Colosseo in the neo-classical style in vogue at that time as it evoked the greatness of Ancient Rome, is surrounded by giant marble statues and pine trees and one of the most beautiful tennis arenas in the world.
The citizens of Rome had to wait until 1950 for the next edition of the “Internazionali d’Italia” as the championship was suspended from 1936-49 because of the Abyssinian and Second World Wars. In 1961, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the modern Italian state, the tournament was held in Turin, the capital of Piedmont, whose King had become King of Italy in 1861. Throughout the 50s and 60s, the women’s event enjoyed its heyday, regularly attracting almost all the top players who were playing the European clay court circuit. During this period, it was seen as the most important event outside the Grand Slams. The first open edition was held in 1969, the Italian federation having resisted calls to declare the tournament open the previous year.
As the 1970s progressed, however, the event suffered heavily from the establishment of the Virginia Slims circuit and World Team Tennis. Nevertheless, it continued to attract the all the players who were not committed to WTT and remained the principal warm-up event for Roland Garros. In 1979, following the collapse of WTT, the WTA, in association with Colgate, made a major effort to restore the championships to their former glory. The women held their own separate event at the Foro Italico and the draw included six former champions. However, the 32-player draw meant that after completion of the first round, there were only 15 matches left to play and the crowds stayed away in droves. Because of this setback, the event was moved to Perugia the following year, where it stayed until 1984. The 1985 Taranto tournament, with prize money of only $50,000, was accorded the title of the Italian Open in 1985, but bore little resemblance to the championships of old. In 1986, a $75,000 event, the Ellesse Grand Prix, was staged at Perugia but the Italian federation refused to acknowledge it as the Italian Open. At that time, plans were already laid to bring the women’s championships back to the Foro Italico in Rome in 1987 in conjunction with IMG. Since 1987, the tournament re-established itself as the second most important event in the European clay-court season together with the German Championships. After the demise of Berlin it remains as the second most prestigous clay court event in existence.
In 2012 the women combined with the men in Rome for the first time since 1978.
Major thanks go out to Andy T (who provided the initial winners list and many summaries) and Jimbo, who extended the winners lists. Thanks to Ugarte for many scores from the 1930s.
Held on clay, in Milan until 1934, in Rome in '35, from '50 to '60, from '62 to '79, and from '87 forward, in Turin in '61, in Perugia from '80 to '84, in Taranto in '85
1930 Lili de Alvarez (Sp) d. Lucia Valerio 3-6 8-6 6-0
1931 Lucia Valerio d. Dorothy Burke (US) 2-6 6-2 6-2
1932 Ida Adamoff (Frn) d. Lucia Valerio 6-4 7-5
1933 Elizabeth Ryan (US) d. Ida Adamoff (Frn) 6-1 6-1
1934 Helen Jacobs (US) d. Lucia Valerio 6-3 6-0
1935 Hilde Sperling (Ger) d. Lucia Valerio 6-4 6-1
1936-1949 not held
1950 Annalissa Bossi d. Joan Curry (GB) 6-4 6-4
1951 Doris Hart (US) d. Shirley Fry (US) 6-3 8-6
1952 Susan Partridge (GB) d. Patricia Harrison (GB) 6-3 7-5
1953 Doris Hart (US) d. Maureen Connolly (US) 4-6 9-7 6-3
1954 Maureen Connolly (US) d. Pat Ward (GB) 6-3 6-0
1955 Pat Ward (GB) d. Erika Vollmer (Ger) 6-4 6-3
1956 Althea Gibson (US) d. Suzi Kormoczy (Hun) 6-3 7-5
1957 Shirley Bloomer (GB) d. Dottie Knode 1-6 9-7 6-2
1958 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Lorraine Coghlan (Aus) 3-6 6-3 6-3
1959 Christine Truman (GB) d. Sandra Reynolds (SA) 6-0 6-1
1960 Suzi Kormoczy (Hun) d. Ann Haydon (GB) 6-4 4-6 6-1
1961 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-4 6-4
1962 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Maria Bueno (Brz) 8-6 5-7 6-4
1963 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-3 6-4
1964 Margaret Smith (Aus) d. Lesley Turner (Aus) 6-1 6-1
1965 Maria Bueno (Brz) d. Nancy Richey (US) 6-1 1-6 6-3
1966 Ann Haydon Jones (GB) d. Annette van Zyl (SA) 8-6 6-1
1967 Lesley Turner (Aus) d. Maria Bueno (Brz) 6-3 6-3
1968 Lesley Turner (Aus) d. Margaret Smith Court (Aus) 6-2 2-6 6-3
1969 Julie Heldman (US) d. Kerry Melville (Aus) 7-5 6-4
1970 Billie-Jean King (US) d. Julie Heldman (US) 6-1 6-3
1971 Virginia Wade (GB) d. Helga Masthoff (Ger) 6-4 6-4
1972 Linda Tuero (US) d. Olga Morozova (USSR) 6-4 6-3
1973 Evonne Goolagong (Aus) d. Chris Evert (US) 7-6 6-0
1974 Chris Evert (US) d. Martina Navratilova (Cz) 6-3 6-3
1975 Chris Evert (US) d. Martina Navratilova (Cz) 6-1 6-0
1976 Mima Jausovec (Yug) d. Lesley Hunt (Aus) 6-1 6-3
1977 Janet Newberry (US) d. Renata Tomanova (Cz) 6-3 7-6
1978 Regina Marsikova (Cz) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 7-5 7-5
1979 Tracy Austin (US) d. Sylvia Hanika (Ger) 6-4 1-6 6-3
1980 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 5-7 6-2 6-2
1981 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Virginia Ruzici (Rum) 6-1 6-2
1982 Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) d. Hana Mandlikova (Cz) 6-0 6-3
1983 Andrea Temesvari (Hun) d. Bonnie Gadusek (US) 6-1 6-0
1984 Manuela Maleeva (Bul) d. Chris Evert-Lloyd (US) 6-3 6-3
1985 Raffaella Reggi d. Vicky Nelson (US) 6-4 6-4
1986 not held
1987 Steffi Graf (Ger) d. Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) 7-5 4-6 6-0
1988 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Helen Kelesi (Can) 6-1 6-7 6-1
1989 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Sp) 6-2 5-7 6-4
1990 Monica Seles (Yug) d. Martina Navratilova (US) 6-1 6-1
1991 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Monica Seles (Yug) 6-3 6-2
1992 Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) d. Monica Seles (Yug) 7-5 6-4
1993 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Gabriela Sabatini (Arg) 7-5 6-1
1994 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Martina Navratilova (US) 7-6 6-4
1995 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Sp) 6-3 6-1
1996 Conchita Martinez (Sp) d. Martina Hingis (Swt) 6-2 6-3
1997 Mary Pierce (Frn) d. Conchita Martinez (Sp) 6-4 6-0
1998 Martina Hingis (Swt) d. Venus Williams (US) 6-3 2-6 6-3
1999 Venus Williams (US) d. Mary Pierce (Frn) 6-4 6-2
2000 Monica Seles (US) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 6-2 7-6
2001 Jelena Dokic (Aus) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 7-6 6-1
2002 Serena Williams (US) d. Justine Hénin (Bel) 7-6 6-4
2003 Kim Clijsters (Bel) d. Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) 3-6 7-6 6-0
2004 Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) d. Jennifer Capriati (US) 3-6 6-3 7-6
2005 Amélie Mauresmo (Frn) d. Patty Schnyder (Swt) 2-6 6-3 6-4
2006 Martina Hingis (Swt) d. Dinara Safina (Rus) 6-2 7-5
2007 Jelena Jankovic (Ser) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 7-5 6-1
2008 Jelena Jankovic (Ser) d. Alize Cornet (Frn) 6-2 6-2
2009 Dinara Safina (Rus) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-3 6-2
2010 Maria José Martinez-Sanchez (Sp) d. Jelena Jankovic (Ser) 7-6 7-5
2011 Maria Sharapova (Rus) d. Sam Stosur(Aus) 6-2 6-4
Most Titles
05 Chris Evert------------Won 1974-1975 and 1980-82. Chris made the finals a record 7 times.
04 Conchita Martinez-----Won 1993-1996. A record 4 consecutive titles and 5 consecutive finals.
04 Gabriela Sabatini------Won 1988-89 and 1991-92. d #1 player 3 times-Navratilova(87),Seles (91-92)
03 Maria Bueno-----------Won 1958, 1961, and 1965
03 Margaret Smith Court--Won 1962-1964.
* Monica Seles won the title in 1990 and 2000-a record 10 year gap between singles titles.
*This event was one of the few major titles that ever eluded Martina Navratilova. Navratilova was a 4 time finalist-a record number of finals without winning the title. Martina played near the start (1974 and 1975 finals) and the end (1990 and 1994 finals-her last year on tour in singles) of her career, but skipped the Italian from 1976 to 1986, her peak years.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Italian Open is the youngest of the great national championships, having begun in 1930. In that inaugural year, Bill Tilden carried off the men’s title and Lilli de Alvarez the women’s crown. That first tournament and the four which followed it were held in Milan but in 1935 the event was moved to the Foro Italico in Rome. The stadium, which had been built in 1925 close to the Colosseo in the neo-classical style in vogue at that time as it evoked the greatness of Ancient Rome, is surrounded by giant marble statues and pine trees and one of the most beautiful tennis arenas in the world.
The citizens of Rome had to wait until 1950 for the next edition of the “Internazionali d’Italia” as the championship was suspended from 1936-49 because of the Abyssinian and Second World Wars. In 1961, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the modern Italian state, the tournament was held in Turin, the capital of Piedmont, whose King had become King of Italy in 1861. Throughout the 50s and 60s, the women’s event enjoyed its heyday, regularly attracting almost all the top players who were playing the European clay court circuit. During this period, it was seen as the most important event outside the Grand Slams. The first open edition was held in 1969, the Italian federation having resisted calls to declare the tournament open the previous year.
As the 1970s progressed, however, the event suffered heavily from the establishment of the Virginia Slims circuit and World Team Tennis. Nevertheless, it continued to attract the all the players who were not committed to WTT and remained the principal warm-up event for Roland Garros. In 1979, following the collapse of WTT, the WTA, in association with Colgate, made a major effort to restore the championships to their former glory. The women held their own separate event at the Foro Italico and the draw included six former champions. However, the 32-player draw meant that after completion of the first round, there were only 15 matches left to play and the crowds stayed away in droves. Because of this setback, the event was moved to Perugia the following year, where it stayed until 1984. The 1985 Taranto tournament, with prize money of only $50,000, was accorded the title of the Italian Open in 1985, but bore little resemblance to the championships of old. In 1986, a $75,000 event, the Ellesse Grand Prix, was staged at Perugia but the Italian federation refused to acknowledge it as the Italian Open. At that time, plans were already laid to bring the women’s championships back to the Foro Italico in Rome in 1987 in conjunction with IMG. Since 1987, the tournament re-established itself as the second most important event in the European clay-court season together with the German Championships. After the demise of Berlin it remains as the second most prestigous clay court event in existence.
In 2012 the women combined with the men in Rome for the first time since 1978.
Major thanks go out to Andy T (who provided the initial winners list and many summaries) and Jimbo, who extended the winners lists. Thanks to Ugarte for many scores from the 1930s.