1997 Italian Open – Women's singles

Women's singles
1997 Italian Open
Champion	Mary Pierce
Runner-up	Conchita Martínez
Score	6–4, 6–0
Draw	56
Seeds	16

Mary Pierce defeated the four-time defending champion Conchita Martínez in the final, 6–4, 6–0 to win the women's singles tennis title at the 1997 Italian Open.

Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.

1. Monica Seles (third round)
2. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (quarterfinals)
3. Conchita Martínez (final)
4. Anke Huber (second round)
5. Iva Majoli (third round)
6. Amanda Coetzer (third round)
7. Irina Spîrlea (quarterfinals)
8. Karina Habšudová (third round)
9. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (second round)
10. Mary Pierce (champion)
11. Barbara Paulus (semifinals)
12. Elena Likhovtseva (third round)
13. Sabine Appelmans (third round)
14. Ruxandra Dragomir (quarterfinals)
15. Nathalie Tauziat (second round)
16. Sandrine Testud (second round)

Draw

Key

• Q = Qualifier
• WC = Wild card
• LL = Lucky loser
• Alt = Alternate
• SE = Special exempt
• PR = Protected ranking
• ITF = ITF entry
• JE = Junior exempt
• w/o = Walkover
• r = Retired
• d = Defaulted
• SR = Special ranking

Finals

	Semifinals							Final
	10	Mary Pierce	4	6	6
	11	Barbara Paulus	6	3	1
								10	Mary Pierce	6	6
								3	Conchita Martínez	4	0
	3	Conchita Martínez	6	6
		Patty Schnyder	2	2

Top half

Section 1

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								1	M Seles	7	6
	Q	S Kleinová	6	2	5				B Schett	5	0
		B Schett	4	6	7										1	M Seles	6	6
		T Tanasugarn	4	3											10	M Pierce	7	7
	Q	A Grossman	6	6				Q	A Grossman	2	2
	WC	S Cecchini	1	1				10	M Pierce	6	6
	10	M Pierce	6	6																		10	M Pierce	6	6
	14	R Dragomir	6	6																		14	R Dragomir	3	4
	Q	A Canepa	3	0				14	R Dragomir	3	6	6
		A Ellwood	4	6	4				E Callens	6	2	0
		E Callens	6	3	6										14	R Dragomir	4	6	6
	WC	L Golarsa	3	2											5	I Majoli	6	4	3
	Q	N Arendt	6	6				Q	N Arendt	6	6	3
								5	I Majoli	7	4	6

Section 2

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								4	A Huber	2	2
	WC	F Lubiani	6	6				WC	F Lubiani	6	6
		D Chládková	2	4											WC	F Lubiani	2	1
		A Gerši	7	6											11	B Paulus	6	6
	Q	M Díaz Oliva	5	3					A Gerši	1	3
	Q	K Brandi	6	3	5			11	B Paulus	6	6
	11	B Paulus	3	6	7																	11	B Paulus	6	6
	15	N Tauziat	6	6																		7	I Spîrlea	4	2
		H Suková	4	2				15	N Tauziat	7	1	2
		D Van Roost	6	6					D Van Roost	6	6	6
		P Begerow	3	0												D Van Roost	1	3
	Q	C Torrens Valero	2	6	6										7	I Spîrlea	6	6
		S Pitkowski	6	3	3			Q	C Torrens Valero	5	6
								7	I Spîrlea	7	7

Bottom half

Section 3

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								8	K Habšudová	6	6
		F Labat	6	7					F Labat	4	3
	Q	O Barabanschikova	1	6											8	K Habšudová	2	4
		J Kruger	6	6												J Kruger	6	6
		A Sugiyama	3	2					J Kruger	6	7
		H Nagyová	3	4				9	B Schultz-McCarthy	2	5
	9	B Schultz-McCarthy	6	6																			J Kruger	0	4
	12	E Likhovtseva	6	6																		3	C Martínez	6	6
		A-G Sidot	4	3				12	E Likhovtseva	6	6
		L Savchenko	6	3	6				L Savchenko	3	3
		F Perfetti	2	6	2										12	E Likhovtseva	2	1
		C Rubin	7	6											3	C Martínez	6	6
		J Capriati	6	2					C Rubin	2	3
								3	C Martínez	6	6

Section 4

	First round							Second round							Third round							Quarterfinals
								6	A Coetzer	6	4	6
		A Kournikova	6	6					A Kournikova	2	6	1
		S-T Wang	4	3											6	A Coetzer	6	5
		Y Basuki	0	1												P Schnyder	7	7
		P Schnyder	6	6					P Schnyder	7	6
		M Oremans	3	6	6			16	S Testud	6	0
	16	S Testud	6	3	7																		P Schnyder	6	6
	13	S Appelmans	6	6																		2	A Sánchez Vicario	1	1
		N Sawamatsu	3	1				13	S Appelmans	6	6
		A Fusai	6	2	5				G Pizzichini	4	3
		G Pizzichini	3	6	7										13	S Appelmans	3	4
		P Suárez	7	7											2	A Sánchez Vicario	6	6
		K Studeníková	5	6					P Suárez	2	2
								2	A Sánchez Vicario	6	6

References

• 1997 Italian Open Draw