Silvia Farina-Elia is a former professional tennis player from Italy. She won three WTA singles titles, reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 Wimbledon Championships and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 11 in May 2002. Farina-Elia won her first ITF title at Caltagirone in 1991 and her first WTA tournament at Strasbourg in 2001. She made her debut Grand Slam appearance at the 1991 French Open and was coached by husband Francesco Elia, whom she married September 1999.
Barbara Schett Eagle is an Austrian former professional tennis player, who reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 7 in September 1999. Between 1993 and 2004 she played in 48 matches for the Austria Fed Cup team, winning 30. She also represented Austria at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in singles and doubles, reaching the quarterfinals of the singles event. She retired after the 2005 Australian Open and now works for Eurosport as a commentator and presenter.
Sandrine Testud is a former professional tennis player from France.
Defending champion Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena Williams in the final, 6–2, 6–4 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 2001 US Open. It was her fourth major singles title, and she did not lose a set during the tournament. The championship match was the first of nine major finals contested by the sisters, and the first US Open women's singles final to take place during American television prime time.
Serena Williams defeated the two-time defending champion, her sister Venus Williams, in the final, 7–6(7–4), 6–3 to win the ladies' singles tennis title at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships. It was her first Wimbledon singles title, third major singles title overall, and the second component of her first "Serena Slam," a non-calendar year Grand Slam and career Grand Slam. She also claimed the world No. 1 singles ranking for the first time by winning the tournament. She achieved the 'Channel Slam', the first time this feat was achieved since Steffi Graf in 1996 and a feat she would accomplish again in 2015. Williams did not lose a set during the tournament.
The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV events. ITF tournaments are not part of the WTA Tour, although they award points for the WTA World Ranking.
The 2004 Open Gaz de France was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris in France that was part of Tier II of the 2004 WTA Tour. The tournament was held from 9 February until 15 February 2004. First-seeded Kim Clijsters won the singles title.
The 2001 Canberra International was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the National Sports Club in Canberra, Australia and was part of the Tier III category of the 2001 WTA Tour. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from 7 through 13 January 2001. Unseeded Justine Henin won the singles title and earned $27,000 first-prize money.
The 2001 Qatar Total Fina Elf Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha in Qatar and was part of Tier III of the 2001 WTA Tour. The tournament was held from 12 February through 18 February 2001. First-seeded Martina Hingis won the singles title.
The 1996 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Palermo, Italy that was part of Tier IV of the 1996 WTA Tour. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from 15 July until 21 July 1996. Fourth-seeded Barbara Schett won the singles title.
Barbara Schett was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Sandrine Testud.
Janette Husárová and Barbara Schett were the defending champions but only Schett competed that year with Silvia Farina.
The 1997 U.S. Women's Hard Court Championships was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States that was part of Tier II of the 1997 WTA Tour. It was the 30th edition of the tournament and was held from August 18 through August 24, 1997. Lindsay Davenport won the singles title.
The 1998 Skoda Czech Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the I. Czech Lawn Tennis Club in Prague in the Czech Republic that was part of Tier III of the 1998 WTA Tour. The tournament was held from 6 July through 12 July 1998. First-seeded Jana Novotná won the singles title.
The 1998 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Palermo, Italy that was part of the Tier IV category of the 1998 WTA Tour. It was the 11th edition of the tournament and was held from 13 July until 19 July 1998. First-seeded Patty Schnyder won the singles title and earned $17,700 first-prize money.
The 1998 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Filderstadt Tennis Club in Filderstadt in Germany that was part of Tier II of the 1998 WTA Tour. It was the 21st edition of the tournament and was held from 5 October until 11 October 1998. Unseeded Sandrine Testud won the singles title and earned $79,000 first-prize money.
The 1997 Challenge Bell was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Club Avantage Multi-Sports in Quebec City in Canada that was part of Tier III of the 1998 WTA Tour. It was the 6th edition of the Challenge Bell, and was held from October 26 through November 1, 1998. Tara Snyder won the singles title.
The 2002 Dubai Tennis Championships and Dubai Duty Free Women's Open were tennis tournaments played on outdoor hard courts at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates that were part of the International Series Gold of the 2002 ATP Tour and of Tier II of the 2002 WTA Tour. The men's tournament was held from February 25 through March 3, 2002 while the women's tournament was held from February 18 through February 23, 2002. Fabrice Santoro and Amélie Mauresmo won the singles titles.
The 1999 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts in Filderstadt, Germany. that was part of Tier II of the 1999 WTA Tour. It was the 22nd edition of the tournament and was held from 4 October until 10 October 1999. First seeded Martina Hingis won the singles title, her third at the event after 1996 and 1997, and earned $80,000 first prize money.
Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova were the defending champions, but competed this year with different partners. Hingis partnered with Mary Pierce and finished the tournament as runners-up, while Kournikova teamed up with Barbara Schett and lost in semifinals to Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs.
Sandrine Testud 
Silvia Farina / 
Barbara Schett 
