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 (Gabriela Sabatini, Roland Garros) 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 #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 the Italy Fed Cup team at nine Federation Cups and also represented Italy at three Olympics.
On Monday October 24, 2005 she announced her retirement from the WTA Tour due a recurrence of a shoulder, saying, "My body has given all it can."
Read more about this topic: Silvia Farina Elia
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