->Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* External links */add category Category:21st-century American women

2021-11-26T09:30:07Z

External links: add category Category:21st-century American women

New page

{{short description|American tennis player}}
{{distinguish|Suneeta Rao}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
| name = Sunitha Rao
| image = Sunitha Rao Albuquerque 2008.jpg
| caption = Rao at the 2008 [[Coleman Vision Tennis Championships]] in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]]
| country = {{Flag|United States}} (2000–09) {{Flag|India}} (2007–09; Fed Cup and Olympic tournaments only)
| residence = [[Bradenton, Florida]], U.S.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|10|27}}
| birth_place = [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], U.S.
| height = 5 ft 7 in
| turnedpro = 2004
| retired = 2009
| plays = Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
| careerprizemoney = US$ 238,224
| singlesrecord = 196–188
| singlestitles = 0
| highestsinglesranking = No. 144 (July 7, 2008)
| currentsinglesranking =
| AustralianOpenresult = Q3 (2003, 2005)
| FrenchOpenresult = Q2 (2005, 2006)
| Wimbledonresult = Q3 (2003)
| USOpenresult = Q3 (2007)
| doublesrecord = 107–105
| doublestitles = 0 WTA, 8 ITF
| OthertournamentsDoubles = yed
| OlympicsDoublesresult = 2R (2008)
| highestdoublesranking = No. 108 (May 19, 2008)
}}

'''Sunitha Rao''' (born October 27, 1985) is an [[India]]n-[[American People|American]] former professional [[tennis]] player.

She has won 8 doubles titles on the [[International Tennis Federation|ITF]] circuit in her career. On July 7, 2008, she reached her best singles ranking of world number 144.<ref>{{cite news |title=The disappearing players of Indian Women's Tennis |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/the-disappearing-players-of-indian-womens-tennis |website=Sportskeeda |last1=Das |first1=Rajorshi |date=October 7, 2021 }}</ref> On May 19, 2008, she peaked at world number 108 in the doubles rankings.

Playing for [[India Fed Cup team|India]] at the [[Fed Cup]], Rao has a win–loss record of 5–6.<ref>{{Fed Cup player|800215566|Sunitha Rao}}</ref> Rao also is the fourth female tennis player in history representing India to enter the top-200 world rankings, after [[Nirupama Sanjeev]], [[Shikha Uberoi]], and [[Sania Mirza]].

==Personal life==
Sunitha was born in [[Jersey City, New Jersey]], and raised by parents Manohar and Savithri.

==Career==

===2002–2007===
Rao played her first WTA match at the [[2002 Brasil Open – Women's Singles|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.

Rao played at the [[2004 Hansol Korea Open|Hansol Korea Open 2004]] where she was beaten by [[Miho Saeki]] in the first round. Rao participated at the [[2005 Internationaux de Strasbourg|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|Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic 2006]], where she lost to [[Angelique Widjaja]] in the First Round. She also suffered a first round defeat at the [[2006 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 [[2007 Challenge Bell]] 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india-names-57member-squad-for-beijing-olympics/69524-5.html |title=India names 57-member squad for Beijing Olympics |work=IBNLive |date=July 25, 2008 |access-date=July 25, 2008 |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726190000/http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india-names-57member-squad-for-beijing-olympics/69524-5.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ra/sunitha-rao-1.html |title=Sunitha Rao |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203205234/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ra/sunitha-rao-1.html |archive-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref> They got a walk-over in round one, but lost to [[Svetlana Kuznetsova]] and [[Dinara Safina]] of [[Russia]] in round two.

Rao announced retirement from tennis in 2009.

==ITF Finals==

=== Singles (0–7)===
{|class=wikitable style="font-size:85%"
|-
!Legend
|- style="background:#f88379;"
| $100,000 tournaments
|- style="background:#f7e98e;"
| $75,000 tournaments
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| $50,000 tournaments
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| $25,000 tournaments
|- style="background:#ccccff;"
| $15,000 tournaments
|- style="background:#f0f8ff;"
| $10,000 tournaments
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
|-
|width=75|'''Outcome'''
|width=50|'''No.'''
|width=125|'''Date'''
|width=250|'''Tournament'''
|width=75|'''Surface'''
|width=200|'''Opponent in the final'''
|width=200|'''Score in the final'''
|- bgcolor="#f0f8ff"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 1.
| February 24, 2002
| [[Mumbai]], [[India]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Peng Shuai]]
| 3–6, 6–7(3–7)
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 2.
| November 10, 2002
| [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Olga Vymetálková]]
| 6–7(2–7), 3–6
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 3.
| October 17, 2004
| [[Mackay, Queensland|Mackay]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Evie Dominikovic]]
| 5–7, 3–6
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 4.
| October 24, 2004
| [[Rockhampton]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Evie Dominikovic]]
| 0–6, 0–2 ret.
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 5.
| July 8, 2007
| [[Southlake, TX|Southlake]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Alexa Glatch]]
| 2–6, 5–7
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 6.
| October 14, 2007
| [[San Francisco]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ashley Harkleroad]]
| 1–6, 2–6
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 7.
| March 22, 2008
| [[Noida]], [[India]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Anastasija Sevastova]]
| 2–6, 1–6
|}

=== Doubles (8–7) ===
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
|-
|Outcome
|No.
|Date
|Tournament
|Surface
|Partner
|Opponents in the final
|Score
|- bgcolor="#f0f8ff"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 1.
| January 18, 2004
| [[Tampa, FL|Tampa]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|USA}} Milangela Morales
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Alisa Kleybanova]] {{flagicon|JPN}} Mayumi Yamamoto
| 2–6, 4–6
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 2.
| May 16, 2004
| [[Charlottesville, VA|Charlottesville]], [[United States]]
| Clay
| {{flagicon|PUR}} [[Vilmarie Castellvi]]
| {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Erica Krauth]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jessica Lehnhoff]]
| 0–6, 1–6
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| November 14, 2004
|[[Port Pirie]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Casey Dellacqua]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Daniella Dominikovic]] {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Evie Dominikovic]]
| 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(8–6)
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 2.
| November 13, 2005
| [[Port Pirie]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Gréta Arn]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Monique Adamczak]] {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Christina Horiatopoulos]]
| 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 3.
| November 27, 2005
|[[Mount Gambier]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ryoko Fuda]]
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Gréta Arn]] {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Anastasia Rodionova]]
| 6–1, ret.
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 4.
| May 7, 2006
| [[Charlottesville, VA|Charlottesville]], [[United States]]
| Clay
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Marie-Ève Pelletier]]
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Maria Fernanda Alves]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lilia Osterloh]]
| 6–7(6–8), 6–2, 6–3
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 3.
| July 23, 2006
| [[Hammond, LA|Hammond]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ryōko Fuda]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Christina Fusano]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Raquel Kops-Jones]]
| 6–7(3–7), 6–4, 1–6
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 4.
| October 8, 2006
| [[Traralgon]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Casey Dellacqua]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Christina Horiatopoulos]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Raquel Kops-Jones]]
| 2–6, 6–7(5–7)
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 5.
| October 15, 2006
| [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Casey Dellacqua]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Daniella Dominikovic]] {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Evie Dominikovic]]
| 6–3, 6–2
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 5.
| January 20, 2007
|[[Fort Walton Beach, FL|Fort Walton Beach]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Marie-Ève Pelletier]]
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Angelika Bachmann]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tetiana Luzhanska]]
| 7–5, 6–7(7–9), 6–7(4–7)
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 6.
| June 2, 2007
|[[Carson, CA|Carson]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|RSA}} [[Kim Grant (tennis)|Kim Grant]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Angela Haynes]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lindsay Lee-Waters]]
| 6–4, 6–4
|- bgcolor=lightblue
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 7.
| June 17, 2007
| [[Allentown, PA|Allentown]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ryōko Fuda]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Angela Haynes]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lindsay Lee-Waters]]
| 6–7(3–7), 6–4, 6–1
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 6.
| March 14, 2008
| [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Aurélie Védy]]
| {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Ji Chunmei]] {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Sun Shengnan]]
| 6–2, 2–6, [4–10]
|- style="background:#f7e98e;"
| bgcolor="98FB98"|Winner
| 8.
| May 11, 2008
| [[Zagreb]], [[Croatia]]
| Clay
| {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Melinda Czink]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphanie Foretz]] {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Jelena Kostanić Tošić]]
| 6–4, 6–2
|- style="background:#addfad;"
| bgcolor="FFA07A"|Runner-up
| 7.
| October 5, 2008
| [[Troy, AL|Troy]], [[United States]]
| Hard
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Angela Haynes]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Raquel Kops-Jones]] {{flagicon|USA}} [[Abigail Spears]]
| 2–6, 0–6
|}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{WTA}}
* {{ITF}}
* {{IOC profile|sunitha-rao}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{Top Indian female tennis players}}
{{Top Indian female doubles tennis players}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Sunitha}}
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Jersey City, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bradenton, Florida]]
[[Category:Tennis people from Florida]]
[[Category:American female tennis players]]
[[Category:Indian female tennis players]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic tennis players of India]]
[[Category:American Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian-American tennis players]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Kannada descent]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Sunitha Rao - Revision history

->Ser Amantio di Nicolao: /* External links */add category Category:21st-century American women