Sunitha Rao
![]() Sunitha Rao at the 2008 Coleman Vision Tennis Championships in Albuquerque, United States | |
Country (sports) | ![]() ![]() |
---|---|
Residence | Bradenton, United States |
Born | Jersey City, United States | October 27, 1985
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
Turned pro | 2004 |
Retired | 2009 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Prize money | US$ 238,224 |
Singles | |
Career record | 196–188 |
Career titles | 0 |
Highest ranking | No. 144 (July 7, 2008) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | Q3 (2003, 2005) |
French Open | Q2 (2005, 2006) |
Wimbledon | Q3 (2003) |
US Open | Q3 (2007) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 107–105 |
Career titles | 0 WTA, 8 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 108 (May 19, 2008) |
Other doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | 2R (2008) |
Sunitha Rao (Kannada: ಸುನಿತಾ ರಾವ್; born October 27, 1985) is an American former professional tennis player. She is of Indian descent.[1]
She has won 8 doubles titles on the ITF circuit in her career. On 7 July 2008, she reached her best singles ranking of world number 144. On 19 May 2008, she peaked at world number 108 in the doubles rankings. Rao retirement from tennis 2009.
Playing for India at the Fed Cup, Rao has a win–loss record of 5–6.[2]
Personal life
Sunitha was born and raised by parents Manohar and Savithri in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her family spoke Kannada. Her parents are originally from Mangalore in Karnataka, India. Sunitha speaks some Kannada.
Her family now lives in Bradenton, Florida. Sunitha currently is staying in Boston, Massachusetts where she studies at Babson College.
WTA career
2002–2007
Rao played her first WTA match at the 2002 Brasil Open – Women's Singles event, where she defeated Vanessa Henke in the first round. She was beaten by Anastasia Myskina in the second round. In 2003, when asked by the All Indian Tennis Association to represent India in international tournaments, her family asked for Rs. 5 crores, an offer that the AITA refused.[1]
Rao played at the Hansol Korea Open 2004 where she was beaten by Miho Saeki in the first round. Rao participated at the Internationaux de Strasbourg 2005, but was overpowered by Iveta Benešová in the first round. Then she played at the Sunfeast Open where she beat Neha Uberoi in the first round before falling to Elena Likhovtseva.
She took part at the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic 2006, where she lost to Angelique Widjaja in the First Round. She also suffered a first round defeat at the 2007 Sunfeast Open to Nicole Pratt. Rao defeated Sandy Gumulya in the First Round of the Sunfeast Open to advance to the second round where she lost to Anne Keothavong. She then lost in the first round of the Bell Challenge to Alina Jidkova.
2008
Rao received an entry into the PTT Pattaya Open via a Lucky Loser spot. She beat Junri Namigata before losing to Ekaterina Bychkova. Then, at the Copa Colsanitas, she lost to Edina Gallovits in the first round.
Rao received the best result of her WTA career at the 2008 DFS Classic in Birmingham. She beat Petra Kvitová (who would be the future world no.2 and Wimbledon titlist) in the first round and Naomi Cavaday in the second before falling to Alona Bondarenko in the third round.
She partnered with Sania Mirza, representing India in the women's doubles event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[3] They got a walk-over in round one, but lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina of Russia in round two.
ITF Finals
Singles (0–7)
Legend |
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$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$15,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
Runner-up | 1. | February 24, 2002 | Mumbai, India | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 6–7(3–7) |
Runner-up | 2. | November 10, 2002 | Mexico City, Mexico | Hard | ![]() |
6–7(2–7), 3–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | October 17, 2004 | Mackay, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
5–7, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | October 24, 2004 | Rockhampton, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
0–6, 0–2 ret. |
Runner-up | 5. | July 8, 2007 | Southlake, United States | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 5–7 |
Runner-up | 6. | October 14, 2007 | San Francisco, United States | Hard | ![]() |
1–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 7. | March 22, 2008 | Noida, India | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 1–6 |
Doubles (8–7)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | January 18, 2004 | Tampa, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | May 16, 2004 | Charlottesville, United States | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
0–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 1. | November 14, 2004 | Port Pirie, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 6–3, 7–6(8–6) |
Winner | 2. | November 13, 2005 | Port Pirie, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
Winner | 3. | November 27, 2005 | Mount Gambier, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, ret. |
Winner | 4. | May 7, 2006 | Charlottesville, United States | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(6–8), 6–2, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 3. | July 23, 2006 | Hammond, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(3–7), 6–4, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | October 8, 2006 | Traralgon, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 6–7(5–7) |
Winner | 5. | October 15, 2006 | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 5. | January 20, 2007 | Fort Walton Beach, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 6–7(7–9), 6–7(4–7) |
Winner | 6. | June 2, 2007 | Carson, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–4 |
Winner | 7. | June 17, 2007 | Allentown, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(3–7), 6–4, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 6. | March 14, 2008 | New Delhi, India | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 2–6, [4–10] |
Winner | 8. | May 11, 2008 | Zagreb, Croatia | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 7. | October 5, 2008 | Troy, United States | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 0–6 |
References
- ^ a b Shekar, Nirmal (7 August 2003). "Putting a price on patriotism? You must be joking!". The Hindu.
- ^ Sunitha Rao at the Billie Jean King Cup
- ^ India names 57-member squad for Beijing Olympics
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Sunitha Rao at the Women's Tennis Association
- {{ITF profile}} template using deprecated numeric ID.
- Sportspeople from Bradenton, Florida
- Tennis people from Florida
- American female tennis players
- Indian female tennis players
- Tennis players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic tennis players of India
- 1985 births
- Living people
- American Hindus
- American sportswomen of Indian descent
- American people of Kannada descent
- 21st-century Indian women