# Rita Grande

Rita Grande (born 23 March 1975) is a former tennis player from Italy.
During her career, Grande won three singles titles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She also won one singles title and three doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 5 November 2001, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 24. On 28 May 2001, she peaked at No. 26 in the doubles rankings.
She played the round of 16 in singles at least once in each of the Grand Slam championships, including twice consecutively at the Australian Open, in 2001 and 2002.
Following a bad elbow injury that kept her away from competition for about ten months, Rita Grande retired from professional sport in October 2005.

## WTA career finals

* Legend
* Grand Slam tournaments
* Tier I
* Tier II
* Tier III
* Tier IV & V (3–1)

### Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1. | Jan 1999 | Hobart International, Australia | Hard | Chanda Rubin | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 2. | Jan 2001 | Hobart International, Australia | Hard | Jennifer Hopkins | 0–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 3. | Oct 2001 | Bratislava Open, Slovakia | Carpet (i) | Martina Suchá | 6–1, 6–1 |
| Win | 4. | Mar 2003 | Morocco Open | Clay | Antonella Serra Zanetti | 6–2, 4–6, 6–1 |

### Doubles: 12 (5 titles, 7 runner-ups)

| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 1. | May 1990 | Taranto Trophy, Italy | Clay | Silvia Farina Elia | Elena Brioukhovets Eugenia Maniokova | 6–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 2. | Feb 1997 | Paris Indoor, France | Hard (i) | Alexandra Fusai | Jana Novotná Martina Hingis | 3–6, 0–6 |
| Winner | 3. | Jun 1999 | Rosmalen Open, Netherlands | Grass | Silvia Farina Elia | Cara Black Kristie Boogert | 7–5, 7–6 |
| Loss | 4. | Jan 2000 | Australian Women's Hardcourts | Hard | Sabine Appelmans | Julie Halard-Decugis Anna Kournikova | 3–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 5. | Jan 2000 | Hobart International, Australia | Hard | Émilie Loit | Kim Clijsters Alicia Molik | 6–2, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 6. | Jul 2000 | Palermo International, Italy | Clay | Silvia Farina Elia | Ruxandra Dragomir Virginia Ruano Pascual | 6–4, 0–6, 7–6$^{(8–6)}$ |
| Loss | 7. | July 2000 | Warsaw Open, Poland | Clay | Åsa Carlsson | Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Loss | 8. | Oct 2000 | China Open | Hard (i) | Meghann Shaughnessy | Lilia Osterloh Tamarine Tanasugarn | 5–7, 1–6 |
| Win | 9. | Jan 2001 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Hard | Alexandra Fusai | Emmanuelle Gagliardi Barbara Schett | 7–6$^{(9–7)}$, 6–3 |
| Loss | 10. | Apr 2001 | Porto Open, Portugal | Clay | Alexandra Fusai | María José Martínez Sánchez Anabel Medina Garrigues | 1–6, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 5–7 |
| Win | 11. | Jan 2002 | Hobart International, Australia | Hard | Tathiana Garbin | Catherine Barclay Christina Wheeler | 6–2, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ |
| Loss | 12. | May 2003 | Madrid Open, Spain | Clay | Angelique Widjaja | Liezel Huber Jill Craybas | 4–6, 6–7$^{(6–8)}$ |

## ITF finals

* $100,000 tournaments
* $75,000 tournaments
* $50,000 tournaments
* $25,000 tournaments
* $10,000 tournaments

### Singles: 3 (1–2)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 29 March 1993 | ITF Moulins, France | Hard | Katarína Studeníková | 2–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 10 May 1993 | ITF Putignato, Italy | Hard | Laura Garrone | 6–2, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 3. | 1 November 1993 | ITF Vilamoura, Portugal | Hard | Anca Barna | 6–0, 6–2 |

### Doubles: 4 (3–1)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Winner | 1. | 3 August 1992 | ITF Nicolosi, Italy | Clay | Laura Lapi | Emanuela Brusati Germana Di Natale | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 2. | 24 March 1993 | ITF Reims, France | Clay | Marzia Grossi | Svetlana Komleva Olga Lugina | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | 13 June 1994 | ITF Sezze, Italy | Clay | Laura Garrone | Laura Montalvo Silvia Ramón-Cortés | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 11 October 1999 | ITF Bordeaux, France | Hard (i) | Alexandra Fusai | Émilie Loit Åsa Carlsson | 2–6, 6–7$^{(5)}$ |

## Best Grand Slam results details
### Singles

| | Australian Open | Australian Open |
| 2001 Australian Open |||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1R | Gala León García | 6–2, 7–6$^{(7–2)}$ |
| 2R | Amy Frazier (16) | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 3R | Evie Dominikovic (WC) | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 4R | Martina Hingis (1) | 0–6, 3–6 |
| 2002 Australian Open (20th Seed) |||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1R | Clarisa Fernández (Q) | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 6–4 |
| 2R | Kristie Boogert (Q) | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 7–5 |
| 3R | Iroda Tulyaganova (16) | 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 |
| 4R | Jennifer Capriati (1) | 3–6, 6–7$^{(9–11)}$ |
| | French Open | French Open |
| 2001 French Open |||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1R | Iva Majoli | 1–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2R | Jana Kandarr | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 3R | Cristina Torrens Valero | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 4R | Petra Mandula (Q) | 2–6, 3–6 |
| | Wimbledon Championships | Wimbledon Championships |
| 2004 Wimbledon |||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1R | Mara Santangelo | 7–5, 7–5 |
| 2R | Arantxa Parra Santonja | 5–7, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 3R | Virginie Razzano (Q) | 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 4R | Paola Suárez (9) | 6–4, 0–6, 2–6 |
| | US Open | US Open |
| 1996 US Open |||
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1R | Alexia Dechaume-Balleret | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2R | Tina Križan (LL) | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 3R | Els Callens | 7–5, 6–1 |
| 4R | Judith Wiesner | 0–6, 3–6 |

### Doubles

| | Australian Open | Australian Open |
| 2001 Australian Open (9th Seed) |||
| with Alexandra Fusai |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Lubomira Bacheva / Cristina Torrens Valero | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2R | Janet Lee / Wynne Prakusya | 1–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 3R | Rachel McQuillan / Lisa McShea | 7–5, 4–6, 6–4 |
| QF | Nicole Arendt / Ai Sugiyama (2) | 5–7, 3–6 |
| | French Open | French Open |
| 1999 French Open |||
| with Els Callens |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Christina Singer / Helena Vildová | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2R | Alicia Molik / Corina Morariu | 0–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 3R | Laurence Courtois / Meghann Shaughnessy | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 7–6$^{(9–7)}$ |
| QF | Serena Williams / Venus Williams (9) | 0–6, 5–7 |
| 2002 French Open |||
| with Patty Schnyder |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Lenka Němečková / Andreea Vanc | 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2R | Amanda Coetzer / Lori McNeil (13) | 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
| 3R | Maja Matevžič / Dragana Zarić | 6–3, 6–3 |
| QF | Nicole Arendt / Liezel Huber (9) | 4–6, 6–7$^{(6–8)}$ |
| | Wimbledon Championships | Wimbledon Championships |
| 1997 Wimbledon (13th Seed) |||
| with Alexandra Fusai |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Mercedes Paz / Anne-Gaëlle Sidot | 6–3, 6–0 |
| 2R | Shirli-Ann Siddall / Amanda Wainwright (WC) | 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 3R | Lindsay Davenport / Jana Novotná (3) | 1–6, 1–6 |
| 1998 Wimbledon |||
| with Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Sabine Appelmans / Miriam Oremans (13) | 5–7, 6–1, 9–7 |
| 2R | Kim Eun-ha / Miho Saeki | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 3R | Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs (7) | 7–5, 0–6, 3–6 |
| | US Open | US Open |
| 1996 US Open |||
| with Elena Makarova |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Tina Križan / Christína Papadáki | 6–3, 7–6 |
| 2R | Laura Montalvo / Barbara Rittner | 6–2, 7–6 |
| 3R | Patricia Hy-Boulais / Rosalyn Fairbank | 1–6, 1–6 |
| 2004 US Open |||
| with Flavia Pennetta |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Denisa Chládková / Libuše Průšová | 6–1, 7–5 |
| 2R | Silvia Farina Elia / Francesca Schiavone (14) | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 3R | Svetlana Kuznetsova / Elena Likhovtseva (2) | 2–6 ret. |

## Head-to-head records

* Lindsay Davenport 0-2
* Martina Hingis 0-3
* Dominique Monami 1-3
* Dinara Safina 0-1