# 1997 Italian Open – Women's singles

Mary Pierce defeated the four-time defending champion Conchita Martínez in the final, 6–4, 6–0 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1997 Italian Open.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.
* Monica Seles (third round)
* Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (quarterfinals)
* Conchita Martínez (final)
* Anke Huber (second round)
* Iva Majoli (third round)
* Amanda Coetzer (third round)
* Irina Spîrlea (quarterfinals)
* Karina Habšudová (third round)
* Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (second round)
* Mary Pierce (champion)
* Barbara Paulus (semifinals)
* Elena Likhovtseva (third round)
* Sabine Appelmans (third round)
* Ruxandra Dragomir (quarterfinals)
* Nathalie Tauziat (second round)
* Sandrine Testud (second 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

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 10 | Mary Pierce | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 11 | Barbara Paulus | 6 | 3 | 1 | | | | |
| 11 | Barbara Paulus | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | Mary Pierce | 6 | 6 |
| | | | | | 3 | Conchita Martínez | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Conchita Martínez | 6 | 6 | | 3 | Conchita Martínez | 4 | 0 |
| | Patty Schnyder | 2 | 2 | | | | | |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 1 | M Seles | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Kleinová | 6 | 2 | 5 | | B Schett | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Schett | 4 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 1 | M Seles | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| | T Tanasugarn | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 10 | M Pierce | 7 | 7 | | | | | |
| Q | A Grossman | 6 | 6 | | Q | A Grossman | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | S Cecchini | 1 | 1 | | 10 | M Pierce | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | M Pierce | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | M Pierce | 6 | 6 |
| 14 | R Dragomir | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | R Dragomir | 3 | 4 |
| Q | A Canepa | 3 | 0 | | 14 | R Dragomir | 3 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Ellwood | 4 | 6 | 4 | | E Callens | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Callens | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | 14 | R Dragomir | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | L Golarsa | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | 5 | I Majoli | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | N Arendt | 6 | 6 | | Q | N Arendt | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | I Majoli | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 2

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 4 | A Huber | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | F Lubiani | 6 | 6 | | WC | F Lubiani | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Chládková | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | WC | F Lubiani | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | A Gerši | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | 11 | B Paulus | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | M Díaz Oliva | 5 | 3 | | | A Gerši | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | K Brandi | 6 | 3 | 5 | 11 | B Paulus | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | B Paulus | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 11 | B Paulus | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | N Tauziat | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 4 | 2 |
| | H Suková | 4 | 2 | | 15 | N Tauziat | 7 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | | | D Van Roost | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | P Begerow | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | D Van Roost | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| Q | C Torrens Valero | 2 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | S Pitkowski | 6 | 3 | 3 | Q | C Torrens Valero | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | I Spîrlea | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 8 | K Habšudová | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | F Labat | 6 | 7 | | | F Labat | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | O Barabanschikova | 1 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | K Habšudová | 2 | 4 | | | | |
| | J Kruger | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | J Kruger | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | A Sugiyama | 3 | 2 | | | J Kruger | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | H Nagyová | 3 | 4 | | 9 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | B Schultz-McCarthy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | J Kruger | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | E Likhovtseva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 |
| | A-G Sidot | 4 | 3 | | 12 | E Likhovtseva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Savchenko | 6 | 3 | 6 | | L Savchenko | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | F Perfetti | 2 | 6 | 2 | | | | | 12 | E Likhovtseva | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| | C Rubin | 7 | 6 | | | | | | 3 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Capriati | 6 | 2 | | | C Rubin | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | C Martínez | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |

#### Section 4

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | | | 6 | A Coetzer | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | A Kournikova | 6 | 6 | | | A Kournikova | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | S-T Wang | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | 6 | A Coetzer | 6 | 5 | | | | |
| | Y Basuki | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | P Schnyder | 7 | 7 | | | | |
| | P Schnyder | 6 | 6 | | | P Schnyder | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Oremans | 3 | 6 | 6 | 16 | S Testud | 6 | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | S Testud | 6 | 3 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | P Schnyder | 6 | 6 |
| 13 | S Appelmans | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 1 | 1 |
| | N Sawamatsu | 3 | 1 | | 13 | S Appelmans | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Fusai | 6 | 2 | 5 | | G Pizzichini | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | G Pizzichini | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | 13 | S Appelmans | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | P Suárez | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | K Studeníková | 5 | 6 | | | P Suárez | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | A Sánchez Vicario | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |