# 1997 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo – Singles

Barbara Schett was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Sandrine Testud.
Testud won in the final 7–5, 6–3 against Elena Makarova.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Barbara Paulus (semifinals)
* Sandrine Testud (champion)
* Barbara Schett (semifinals)
* Florencia Labat (second round)
* Silvia Farina (quarterfinals)
* Virginia Ruano-Pascual (quarterfinals)
* Francesca Lubiani (first round)
* Flora Perfetti (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking
| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | B Paulus | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Dopfer | 5 | 1 | r | 1 | B Paulus | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M-J Gaidano | 4 | 3 | | | S Cecchini | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Cecchini | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 1 | B Paulus | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Begerow | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | I Gorrochategui | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Ghirardi | 4 | 6 | 2 | | P Begerow | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Gorrochategui | 6 | 7 | | | I Gorrochategui | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | F Lubiani | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | B Paulus | 4 | 5 | | | | | |
| 4 | F Labat | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | E Makarova | 6 | 7 | | | | | |
| LL | F Zuluaga | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | F Labat | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | K Triska | 3 | 2 | | | E Makarova | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Makarova | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | E Makarova | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Devillé | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | 5 | S Farina | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | L Dell'Angelo | 2 | 6 | | | S Devillé | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Wagner | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | S Farina | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | S Farina | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Elena Makarova | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | V Ruano-Pascual | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Sandrine Testud | 7 | 6 |
| | L Němečková | 6 | 3 | | 6 | V Ruano-Pascual | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Pizzichini | 7 | 6 | | | G Pizzichini | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | A Barna | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | 6 | V Ruano-Pascual | 3 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | N van Lottum | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 3 | B Schett | 6 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Kochta | 0 | 3 | | | N van Lottum | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Meier | 1 | 0 | r | 3 | B Schett | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | B Schett | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | B Schett | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| 8 | F Perfetti | 0 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | S Testud | 0 | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| | E Gagliardi | 6 | 6 | | | E Gagliardi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Panova | 2 | 4 | | | A Gavaldón | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Gavaldón | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | E Gagliardi | 7 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | L Garrone | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 2 | S Testud | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Cenková | 7 | 2 | 4 | WC | L Garrone | 6 | 4 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Kschwendt | 2 | 2 | | 2 | S Testud | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | S Testud | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |