Personal

Started playing at age 9 ... Favorite shot is volley ... Parents played recreational tennis; brother, Matteo, used to play ... Hobbies include playing beach volleyball in Rome, listening to music, sightseeing ... Admires grandmother and Martina Navratilova.

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner (1): 2008 - ITF/Biella-ITA, ITF/Ortisei-ITA; 2006 - Bangalore; 2005 - ITF/Poza Rica-MEX, ITF/Taranto-ITA; 2003 - ITF/Ortisei-ITA; 2002 - ITF/Maribor-SLO; 2000 - ITF/Aosta-ITA, ITF/Cuneo-ITA.
Finalist (1): 2007 - Bangalore.

DOUBLES
Winner (9): 2009 - Auckland, Monterrey, Strasbourg (all w/Dechy); 2008 - ITF/Rimini-ITA (w/Vinci); 2007 - Pattaya City (w/Pratt), Amelia Island (w/Srebotnik), Rome (w/Dechy), Roland Garros (w/Molik), New Haven (w/Mirza); 2005 - ITF/Poza Rica-MEX (w/Noorlander), ITF/Prostejov-CZE (w/Beygelzimer); 2004 - Hasselt (w/Russell); 2003 - ITF/Denain-FRA (w/Serra Zanetti), ITF/Latina-ITA (w/Vinci); 2000 - ITF/Hvar-CRO (w/Kovacevic), ITF/Aosta-ITA, ITF/Cuneo-ITA, ITF/Spoleto-ITA (all w/Camerin), ITF/Tbilisi-GEO (w/Diaz-Oliva); 1999 - ITF/Horb-GER (w/Hudson), ITF/Beograd-CRO (w/Galouza), ITF/Girona-ITA (w/Wolfbrandt); 1998 - ITF/Reggio Calabria-ITA (w/Altilia).
Finalist (3): 2007 - Los Angeles (w/Molik); 2005 - Stockholm (w/Birnerova); 2004 - Tashkent (w/Bartoli).

ADDITIONAL
Italian Fed Cup Team, 2005-07; Italian Olympic Team, 2008.

Career in Review

- Best singles results were one WTA title at 2006 Bangalore (d. Kostanic Tosic in final) and one WTA final at 2007 Bangalore (l. to Shvedova); SF twice, at 2006 Hobart and 2007 Birmingham; QF five times, three in 2006 (Istanbul, Birmingham, New Haven) and two in 2007 (Pattaya City, Warsaw); best Grand Slam was 4r at 2004 Australian Open (l. to Henin); had two Top 10 wins, No.9 Jankovic (2007 Miami) and No.9 Petrova (2007 Warsaw); career-high was No.27.
- Best doubles results were nine WTA titles (incl. one Grand Slam title, at 2007 French Open w/Molik) and three WTA finals; spent 48 career weeks in doubles Top 10, all consecutively between June 11, 2007 and May 11, 2008 (career-high was No.5).
- Won eight singles titles and 14 doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
- Had eight-month left foot injury lay-off between September 2007 and May 2008, then after Wimbledon in June 2009 played just one event on ITF Circuit.
- Announced retirement on Friday, January 28, 2011 in Milan, Italy.