Valentina Sassi
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Full name | Valentina Sassi |
---|---|
Country (sports) | ![]() |
Born | (1980-07-12) 12 July 1980 (age 44) Seravezza, Italy |
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Plays | Right-handed |
Prize money | $175,976 |
Singles | |
Career titles | 6 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 144 (8 April 2002) |
Doubles | |
Career titles | 7 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 153 (11 September 2006) |
Valentina Sassi (born 12 July 1980) is an Italian tennis coach and an instructor of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). She is a former professional tennis player[1] and a doubles bronze medalist for Italy at the 2001 Mediterranean Games.
Born in Seravezza, Sassi made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the Madrid Open in 2001, as a qualifier. In 2002, she reached her best singles ranking of 144, making main-draw appearances at Oporto and Casablanca that year. Sassi, a right-handed player, won six singles and seven doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, before retiring in 2008.
Career
Sassi started playing tennis when she was six years old before developing into a professional tennis player. She made her WTA Tour debut at the Madrid Open in 2000,[1] and competed in the majors of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Australian Open, and the Internazionali di tennis in Rome. In 2004, she won the Italian Absolute Championships. At the peak of her career, Sassi played in doubles with players such as Jelena Janković, Kim Clijsters, Miroslava Vavrinec, Jelena Dokic and Daniela Hantuchová. She played 488 games with 60 per cent winning rate before quitting in 2006.[1][2]
Coaching
Sassi moved to the United States in 2008 and started coaching tennis. Later, she joined Rick Macci tennis academy where she was involved in coaching players such as Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick.[3][4] In May 2020, Sassi earned the title of International Professional Tennis Coach as Instructor of the Italian Tennis Federation USPTA, the highest level instructor of young tennis players.[5]
ITF Circuit finals
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Singles: 10 (6–4)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | 29 November 1998 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Hard | ![]() | 7–6, 3–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 2. | 8 November 1999 | Le Havre, France | Clay | ![]() | 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 1. | 1 May 2000 | Bari, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 6–0, 4–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 3. | 11 June 2001 | Grado, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 6–3, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 2. | 31 May 2004 | Galatina, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 1–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 17 January 2006 | Fort Walton Beach, United States | Hard | ![]() | 5–7, 2–6 |
Winner | 4. | 14 July 2007 | Imola, Italy | Hard | ![]() | 7–6(1), 6–2 |
Winner | 5. | 12 September 2007 | Casale Monferrato, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 3–6, 7–6(7), 6–2 |
Winner | 6. | 29 September 2007 | Ciampino, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 4. | 19 October 2007 | Settimo San Pietro, Italy | Clay | ![]() | 6–7(2), 3–6 |
Doubles: 17 (7–10)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 22 August 1999 | Alghero, Italy | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 1. | 7 November 1999 | Saint-Raphaël, France | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 2. | 6 August 2000 | Alghero, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 3–6, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 19 November 2000 | Naples, United States | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–5, 4–2, 4–2, 3–5, 1–4 |
Runner-up | 4. | 2 February 2003 | Rockford, United States | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 11 October 2005 | Victoria, Mexico | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 13 November 2005 | Mexico City | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–7(5), 3–6 |
Winner | 2. | 22 November 2005 | San Luis Potosí, Mexico | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 7. | 18 December 2005 | Bergamo, Italy | Carpet (i) | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 3. | 1 May 2006 | Catania, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | w/o |
Runner-up | 8. | 30 May 2006 | Galatina, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 4. | 29 July 2006 | Monteroni d'Arbia, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 6–4, 6–0 |
Winner | 5. | 28 July 2007 | Monteroni d'Arbia, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 7–5, 6–2 |
Winner | 6. | 25 August 2007 | Trecastagni, Italy | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 9. | 17 September 2007 | Lecce, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 19 October 2007 | Settimo San Pietro, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 7. | 5 May 2008 | Florence, Italy | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–3 |
References
- ^ a b c "VALENTINA SASSI, ORGOGLIO ITALIANO IN USA - Day Italia News" (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ Redazione (2020-01-04). "Valentina Sassi, tennis tra Miami e Casltenuovo Magra". www.cittadellaspezia.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ "VALENTINA SASSI, DAL TITOLO DEGLI ASSOLUTI ALLA RICK MACCI ACADEMY, PASSANDO PER QUEL DOPPIO CON MIRKA FEDERER". SpazioTennis (in Italian). 2020-05-24. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ Redazione. "Valentina Sassi da stella del tennis ad istruttrice". Città della Spezia (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ "Miroslava Vavrinec Matches | Past Tournaments & More – WTA Official". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
External links
- Valentina Sassi at the Women's Tennis Association
- Valentina Sassi at the International Tennis Federation