The Internazionali BNL d'Italia is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. The men's competition is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour. The two competitions are currently held in separate weeks in May. The tournament is played on clay courts. The event was previously known as the Italian Open and changed to its current name in 2002. The Italian tennis championship was first held in 1930 in Milan, where it was played until 1934 before being moved to the Foro Italico in Rome in 1935. No event was held between 1936 and 1949. The competition resumed in 1950. It became "open" to professional players in 1969.
Past Winners 2009 Dinara Safina 2008 Jelena Janković 2007 Jelena Janković 2006 Martina Hingis 2005 Amélie Mauresmo 2004 Amélie Mauresmo 2003 Kim Clijsters 2002 Serena Williams 2001 Jelena Dokić 2000 Monica Seles 1999 Venus Williams 1998 Martina Hingis 1997 Mary Pierce 1996 Conchita Martínez 1995 Conchita Martínez 1994 Conchita Martínez 1993 Conchita Martínez 1992 Gabriela Sabatini 1991 Gabriela Sabatini 1990 Monica Seles 1989 Gabriela Sabatini 1988 Gabriela Sabatini 1987 Steffi Graf 1986 Not Held 1985 Raffaella Reggi 1984 Manuela Maleeva 1983 Andrea Temesvari 1982 Chris Evert 1981 Chris Evert 1980 Chris Evert 1979 Tracy Austin 1978 Regina Maršíková 1977 Janet Newberry Wright 1976 Mima Jaušovec 1975 Chris Evert 1974 Chris Evert 1973 Evonne Goolagong Cawley 1972 Linda Tuero 1971 Virginia Wade 1970 Billie Jean King 1969 Julie Heldman 1968 Lesley Turner Bowrey 1967 Turner Bowrey 1966 Ann Haydon Jones 1965 Maria Bueno 1964 Margaret Court 1963 Margaret Court 1962 Margaret Court 1961 Maria Bueno 1960 Zsuzsi Kormoczy 1959 Christine Truman Janes 1958 Maria Bueno 1957 Shirley Bloomer Brasher 1956 Althea Gibson 1955 Patricia Ward Hales 1954 Maureen Connolly Brinker 1953 Doris Hart 1952 Susan Partridge 1951 Doris Hart 1950 Annelies Ullstein-Bossi 1936-1949 Not Held 1935 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling 1934 Helen Jacobs 1933 Elizabeth Ryan 1932 Ida Adamoff 1931 Lucia Valerio 1930 Lilí de Álvarez Womens Doubles 2009 Su-Wei Hsieh Shuai Peng 2008 Chan Yung-jan Chuang Chia-jung 2007 Nathalie Dechy Mara Santangelo 2006 Daniela Hantuchová Ai Sugiyama 2005 Cara Black Liezel Huber 2004 Nadia Petrova Meghann Shaughnessy 2003 Svetlana Kuznetsova Martina Navrátilová 2002 Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez 2001 Cara Black Elena Likhovtseva 2000 Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs 1999 Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova 1998 Virginia Ruano Paola Suárez 1997 Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf 1996 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Irina Spîrlea 1995 Mary Joe Fernández Natasha Zvereva 1994 Mary Joe Fernández Natasha Zvereva 1993 Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 1992 Monica Seles Helena Suková 1991 Jennifer Capriati Monica Seles 1990 Helen Kelesi Monica Seles 1989 Elizabeth Smylie Janine Thompson 1988 Jana Novotná Catherine Suire 1987 Martina Navrátilová Gabriela Sabatini 1986 Not Held 1985 Sandra Cecchini Raffaella Reggi 1984 Iva Budařová Helena Suková 1983 Virginia Ruzici Virginia Wade 1982 Kathleen Horvath Yvonne Vermaak 1981 Candy Reynolds Paula Smith 1980 Hana Mandlíková Renáta Tomanová
Venus Williams wins her opener in Rome after layoff Venus Williams played her first match in a month on Tuesday, but she did not show in any effects of the layoff. Williams, who is ranked No. 4 in the world, knocked off veteran Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-2 in Williams' first match on the Internazionali BNL D'Italia tennis tournament in Rome. The world's top nine ranked players are competing in this event, which is an important tuneup for the French Open later this month. Williams' last match was a decisive loss to Kim Clijsters in the finals of the hardcourt tournament in Miami back on March 3. This is Williams second clay-court tournament of the year, but the first was an event in Acapulco, Mexico, that did not have a great field. Williams won that tournament in late February but did not beat anyone ranked higher than 60th and had to go three sets in three of those matches. So this is an important test for Williams. She played well enough in her opener, which was a second-round match after receiving a first-round bye. The match lasted an hour and 15 minutes, and Willaims rallied from 15-40 down in the final game to finish it off. http://www.examiner.com/x-23531-Oak...Williams-wins-her-opener-in-Rome-after-layoff
Ana Ivanovic Back On Track In Rome Going into the Internazionali BNL d'Italia this week in Rome, Ana Ivanovic had only won two of her last nine matches. The 2008 French Open Champion is currently ranked 58th in the world. After being ranked No. 1 in the world, Ana has made a slow and dreadful decline in the rankings. Since making the quarterfinals of Wimbeldon and the French Open last year, Ana has really lost her game. She has, however, been doing quite well in her modeling career. Maybe this week she decided that she wanted tennis more than modeling. Or maybe it's Steffi Graf's former coach, Heinz Gunthardt, who she picked up back in February. Nonetheless, it's tough to see such a gorgeous young lady lose. Read more: http://technorati.com/sports/article/ana-ivanovic-back-on-track-in1/#ixzz0n7e8A8V6
Wozniacki stunned in Rome, Jankovic through Second seed Caroline Wozniacki suffered another disappointing loss on Clay when she lost her pre-quarterfinal match to Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and bowed out of the Internazionali BNL D'Italia, a WTA premier cornerstone event being held in the historic Rome. Wozniacki looked completely off-form during the entire match and failed to find answers to the Spaniard's experience and tenacity on the red clay, losing 4-6, 2-6 rather handily in just 79 minutes of play. Earlier in the day, seventh seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic set up a blockbuster quarterfinal showdown with Venus Williams when she defeated Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-0 in just under an hour. Williams, on the other hand, ended the challenge of Israeli Shahar Peer in two hard-fought sets, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 80 minutes of play. http://www.tennisearth.com/news/tennisNews/Wozniacki-stunned-in-Rome-Jankovic-through-158309.htm
Serena storms into Rome Quarterfinals Serena Williams survived a temporary lapse in concentration against German Andrea Petkovic and made it to the quarterfinals of the 2010 Internazionali BNL D'Italia, a WTA premier cornerstone event being held in the picturesque Rome. Williams opened the match well and pocketed a couple of early breaks to close the opening set by 6 games 2. A sudden rise in Petkovic's game then saw Williams lose her serve in the third game and eventually the set 6-3. The decider turned out to be a lopsided affair when Serena reeled off 6 games in a row to complete the 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 win in one hour and 43 minutes of play. http://www.tennisearth.com/news/tennisNews/Serena-storms-into-Rome-Quarterfinals-158413.htm
Re: Serena storms into Rome Quarterfinals World number one Serena Williams is in astonishing form since her return from a long injury layoff which saw her miss major events in Paris, Miami and Charleston. However, her current form seems good enough to get her a title triumph on Roman clay. Today she beat a feisty Russian Maria Kirilenko in straight sets to reach the semifinals of the 2010 Internazionali BNL D'Italia, a WTA cornerstone event being held in Rome, Italy. Serena started the match on a bright note and broke Kirilenko's serve several times to close the opening set with a 6-1 scoreline. The second set saw Williams get a double break and a 4-1 lead with the help of her blistering groundstrokes. The Russian did make a mini-comeback when she got one of the breaks back but it was too late as Williams consolidated the single break lead and completed the 6-1, 6-4 match in 78 minutes of play. http://www.tennisearth.com/news/tennisNews/Serena-storms-into-BNL-DItalia-Semifinal-550703.htm
Ivanovic returns to top form in Rome, enters Semis Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic has been dogged by a series of injuries from the past one year. However, on her favourite surface clay, things seem to be returning back to normal. The Serbian star produced high quality tennis today to defeat Russian powerhouse Nadia Petrova and reached the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL D'Italia, a WTA Premier cornerstone event, being held in the historic Rome. Ivanovic made a fine start to the match and quickly raced to a 5-2 lead. Another break of serve then fetched the Serbian star the first set by 6 games to 2. The second set saw Ivanovic get an early break for a 2-0 lead. Petrova however refused to go down without a fight and bounced back to level the match. Things continued on a similar pattern till 6-5 when Ivanovic got the golden break and completed the 6-2, 7-5 win in 76 minutes of play. http://www.tennisearth.com/news/ten...ns-to-top-form-in-Rome-enters-Semis-96557.htm
Jankovic stuns Serena to reach Rome final Jelena Jankovic produced a stubborn performance to knock top seed Serena Williams out of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. In a match lasting over two-and-a-half hours, Jankovic produced an astonishing fightback to book her place in the final with a 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) victory. Williams, playing in her first tournament since the Australian Open in January, struggled with her serve, hitting nine double faults as she was broken on seven occasions by her opponent. But in a match in which the momentum swung back and forth between the players, Williams looked to be on course to reach the final. http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/21458.html
Martinez Sanchez reigns supreme in Rome Unseeded Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez today created history in her own terms when she struggled past the conquerer of Williams sisters - Jelena Jankovic, to win the biggest title of her career, the Internazionali BNL D'Italia, the second of the four WTA Premier cornerstone events held during the tennis calendar.
