WORLD TOP SPORTS STARS: Flavia Pennetta top sport star

Flavia Pennetta (born 25 February 1982 in Brindisi, Puglia) is an Italian professional tennis player. She became Italy's first top 10 female player on 17 August 2009. As of October 11, 2010, Pennetta is ranked World No. 23. She is also ranked World No. 3 in doubles.[1]

Pennetta has won nine career WTA singles titles, including back-to-back titles in Bogotá and Acapulco in 2005. She and her Italian teammates Mara Santangelo, Francesca Schiavone, and Roberta Vinci beat the Belgium team 3–2 in the 2006 Fed Cup final. Justine Henin had to retire in the fifth and final match due to an injury in her right knee, which let Italy win their first Fed Cup trophy.[2] She was also a member of their winning team in 2009, when they beat the United States in the final.

Pennetta has defeated multiple Grand Slam singles champions such as Justine Henin, Mary Pierce, Martina Hingis, Francesca Schiavone, Amélie Mauresmo, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and former World No. 1 Jelena Janković. Pennetta is also one of only seven women to beat Williams three consecutive times.[3] In doubles, she reached the 2005 US Open final with her partner Elena Dementieva. She has also reached the US Open quarterfinals twice in singles.

Pennetta was pronounced a Knight of Order of Merit of the Republic on 24 January 2007 by the President of Italy.[4]
Contents
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* 1 Tennis career
o 1.1 Early years
* 2 2008
* 3 2009
* 4 2010
* 5 Personal life
* 6 Equipment
* 7 Honours
* 8 Career statistics
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

[edit] Tennis career
[edit] Early years

Pennetta was introduced to tennis at the age 5 by her father.[1] Aged 17, she won the 1999 French Open in girls' doubles with fellow Italian Roberta Vinci.[1]

Pennetta began to play on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit in 1997.[1] The following year, she lost in the second round of her first qualifying tournament for a WTA Tour main draw, the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo. In 1999, Pennetta won two singles titles and two doubles titles on the ITF circuit.[1] She was unsuccessful in her several attempts to qualify for WTA Tour main draws in 2000. The following year, she limited her play to the ITF circuit.

She played her first main draw WTA Tour match at the 2002 Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tennessee, where she lost in the first round. She also lost in the first round in Palermo but reached the second round of the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot.[1] Her ranking reached the Top 100 for the first time on 23 September 2002, when she reached World No. 100.[1]

Flavia Pennetta