Selima Sfar
Selima Sfar (Arabic: سليمة صفر Salima Sifr; born 8 July 1977) is a retired Tunisian tennis player.
Selima Sfar at the 2009 Open GDF Suez | |
Country (sports) | Tunisia |
---|---|
Residence | Biarritz, France |
Born | Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia | 8 July 1977
Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in) |
Turned pro | 1999 |
Retired | 2011 |
Plays | Right (double-handed backhand) |
Prize money | $876,041 |
Singles | |
Career record | 395–383 |
Career titles | 0 WTA, 11 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 75 (16 July 2001) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | 1R (2002, 2005) |
French Open | 2R (2001, 2008) |
Wimbledon | 2R (2001, 2002, 2005) |
US Open | 2R (2001) |
Other tournaments | |
Olympic Games | 1R (1996, 2008) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 238–201 |
Career titles | 21 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 47 (28 July 2008) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | 2R (2006, 2008) |
French Open | 2R (2005, 2007) |
Wimbledon | QF (2008) |
US Open | 2R (2005, 2006, 2007) |
She turned professional in 1999 and has been ranked as high as 75th in the world (16 July 2001). Sfar is the second highest ranked female Tunisian and Arab player. She has experienced most of her success in ITF tournaments, winning eleven singles titles and twenty-one doubles titles.
Biography
Left Tunis at age 13 to live and train with Nathalie Tauziat in Biarritz, France. The serve-and-volleyer preferred indoor hardcourts; favorite shots were serve, backhand. Father, Moncef, is a physician; mother, Zeineb, is a dermatologist; older sister is Sonia and younger brother is Hassan.
Most memorable experience was qualifying for her favourite tournament, the US Open, in 2000.
Tennis career
Sfar was able to receive wild cards for Middle Eastern tournaments in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. At the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2001, she reached the quarterfinals, beating Silvija Talaja and Barbara Schett before being defeated by Nathalie Tauziat in three sets.
Sfar has represented Tunisia in the Fed Cup, going 41–24. She also competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, losing in the first round to Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, and the 2008 Summer Olympics, losing in the first round to Caroline Wozniacki. Sfar holds the records for the Tunesian in the Fed Cup with the most wins, the most singles wins, the most doubles wins, the most ties played, and the most years played.[1]
At the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, Sfar and her partner Ekaterina Makarova reached the quarterfinals of the doubles competition, where they were defeated by Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.
In 2011, Sfar announced her retirement from professional tennis. In the meantime, she became a commentator for Qatari sports channel "JSC Sport".
At the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, Sfar teamed with Martina Navratilova for the Invitational Ladies Doubles, and they won all three of their matches in their group.
ITF finals
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Singles (11–8)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | 14 August 1994 | Carthage, Tunisia | Clay | Anne-Gaëlle Sidot | 5–7, 6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 2. | 26 March 1995 | Moulins, France | Hard (i) | Linda Sentis | 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
Winner | 3. | 26 November 1995 | Le Havre, France | Clay (i) | Émilie Loit | 0–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 4. | 4 February 1996 | Dinan, France | Clay (i) | Virginie Massart | 6–4, 7–6(10–8) |
Winner | 5. | 11 August 1996 | Carthage, Tunisia | Clay | Marielle Bruens | 7–5, 6–4 |
Winner | 6. | 14 December 1997 | Ismailia, Egypt | Clay | Tzipora Obziler | 5–7, 7–5, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 1. | 22 June 1998 | Sezze, Italy | Clay | Alice Canepa | 5–7, 2–6 |
Winner | 7. | 30 April 2000 | Bournemouth, United Kingdom | Clay | Dragana Zarić | 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 2. | 17 July 2000 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | Bianka Lamade | 5–7, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 31 July 2000 | Saint-Gaudens, France | Clay | Elena Tatarkova | 4–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 8. | 22 September 2002 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Anne Keothavong | 7–6(7–5), 2–6, 7–6(10–8) |
Winner | 9. | 3 November 2002 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Lilia Osterloh | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 4. | 26 July 2004 | Modena, Italy | Clay | Anna-Lena Grönefeld | 2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 1 November 2004 | Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium | Hard (i) | Yvonne Meusburger | 4–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 10. | 14 May 2006 | Jounieh, Lebanon | Clay | Anastasiya Yakimova | 6–4, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 6. | 10 April 2007 | Biarritz, France | Clay | Pauline Parmentier | 2–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 11. | 13 May 2007 | Jounieh, Lebanon | Clay | Mariya Koryttseva | 6–2, 4–6, 7–6(7–3) |
Runner-up | 7. | 7 April 2008 | Biarritz, France | Clay | Kathrin Wörle | 1–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 8. | 5 July 2009 | Mont-de-Marsan, France | Clay | Anna Gerasimou | 5–7, 3–6 |
Doubles (21–12)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | 25 July 1994 | A Coruña, Spain | Clay | Olivia de Camaret | Sandra de Rafael Paula Hermida |
4–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
Winner | 2. | 1 August 1994 | Casablanca, Morocco | Clay | Olivia de Camaret | Cora Hofmann Alexandra Seitarth |
4–6, 6–1, 6–0 |
Runner-up | 1. | 5 August 1996 | Carthage, Tunisia | Clay | Sandrine Bouilleau | Mariëlle Bruens Bahia Mouhtassine |
w/o |
Winner | 3. | 21 April 1997 | Guimarães, Portugal | Hard | Élodie Le Bescond | Kildine Chevalier Jindra Gabrisová |
6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 4. | 8 December 1997 | Ismailia, Egypt | Clay | Bérangère Karpenschif | Bianca Kamper Nicole Remis |
6–3, 7–6(7–5) |
Runner-up | 2. | 11 May 1998 | Le Touquet, France | Clay | Élodie Le Bescond | Vanina Casanova Romina Ottoboni |
6–7, 0–1 ret. |
Winner | 5. | 22 June 1998 | Sezze, Italy | Clay | Vanina Casanova | Alice Canepa Alessia Lombardi |
6–3, 6–1 |
Winner | 6. | 20 July 1998 | Valladolid, Spain | Hard | Gisela Riera | Eva Bes Rosa María Andrés Rodríguez |
7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3) |
Runner-up | 3. | 27 July 1998 | Pamplona, Spain | Hard | Meike Fröhlich | Eva Bes Amanda Hopmans |
w/o |
Winner | 7. | 10 May 1999 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Clay | Jo Ward | Surina De Beer Lorna Woodroffe |
6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 4. | 26 July 1999 | Pamplona, Spain | Hard | Jo Ward | Hiroko Mochizuki Ludmila Richterová |
6–2, 4–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 8. | 2 August 1999 | Perigueux, France | Clay | Jo Ward | Hanna-Katri Aalto Rika Fujiwara |
6–4, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 5. | 6 February 2000 | Jersey, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Jo Ward | Elena Bovina Anna Zaporozhanova |
3–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 9. | 24 April 2000 | Bournemouth, United Kingdom | Clay | Lorna Woodroffe | Hannah Collin Zsófia Gubacsi |
6–1, 6–0 |
Winner | 10. | 1 May 2000 | Hatfield, United Kingdom | Clay | Jo Ward | Zsófia Gubacsi Jasmin Wöhr |
7–6(8–6), 6–2 |
Runner-up | 6. | 15 May 2000 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Clay | Lorna Woodroffe | Natalie Grandin Nicole Rencken |
6–0, 3–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 7. | 3 November 2002 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Lucie Ahl | Kim Grant Lilia Osterloh |
1–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 11. | 20 April 2003 | Biarritz, France | Clay | Lucie Ahl | Yuliya Beygelzimer Anna Zaporozhanova |
6–1, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 8. | 18 August 2003 | Bronx, United States | Hard | Mara Santangelo | Yuliya Beygelzimer Tatiana Poutchek |
4–6, 5–7 |
Winner | 12. | 13 September 2004 | Bordeaux, France | Clay | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Erica Krauth Jasmin Wöhr |
3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 9. | 10 October 2004 | Joué-lès-Tours, France | Clay | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Květa Peschke Angelika Rösch |
w/o |
Winner | 13. | 18 October 2004 | Saint-Raphaël, France | Hard (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Barbora Strýcová Galina Voskoboeva |
7–6(7–3), 2–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 14. | 1 November 2004 | Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium | Hard (i) | Virginie Pichet | Eva Fislová Stanislava Hrozenská |
6–1, 7–6(7–2) |
Winner | 15. | 23 November 2004 | Poitiers, France | Hard (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Gabriela Chmelinová Michaela Paštiková |
7–5, 6–4 |
Winner | 16. | 12 April 2005 | Biarritz, France | Clay | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Timea Bacsinszky Aurélie Védy |
6–2, 6–1 |
Winner | 17. | 15 November 2005 | Deauville, France | Clay (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Alona Bondarenko Kateryna Bondarenko |
6–3, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 10. | 26 March 2007 | Latina, Italy | Hard | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Sara Errani Giulia Gabba |
3–6, 6–1, 6–7(2–7) |
Runner-up | 11. | 6 April 2008 | Torhout, Belgium | Hard | Stéphanie Cohen-Alor | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Yanina Wickmayer |
4–6, 6–4, [8–10] |
Winner | 18. | 20 July 2009 | Pétange, Luxembourg | Clay | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Darija Jurak Kathrin Wörle |
6–2, 3–6, [10–7] |
Winner | 19. | 12 October 2009 | Joué-lès-Tours, France | Hard | Youlia Fedossova | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro Aurélie Védy |
4–6, 6–0, [10–8] |
Winner | 20. | 22 February 2010 | Biberach, Germany | Hard (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Mona Barthel Carmen Klaschka |
5–7, 6–1, [10–5] |
Runner-up | 12. | 17 October 2010 | Joué-lès-Tours, France | Hard (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Tatjana Malek Irena Pavlovic |
4–6, 7–5, [8–10] |
Winner | 21. | 24 January 2011 | Grenoble, France | Hard (i) | Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro | Iryna Brémond Aurélie Védy |
6–1, 6–3 |
References
- "Tunisia". Fed Cup teams. ITF. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
External links
- Selima Sfar at the Women's Tennis Association
- Selima Sfar at the International Tennis Federation
- Selima Sfar at the Billie Jean King Cup