Léa Pericoli, the lady of Italian tennis, has died at the age of 89. Lady of the court, queen of the court and master of elegance, she was one of the first women to talk about tennis in newspapers and on television after having played it at the highest level. Federtenis makes it known. Remembering the history of the record champion of Italian tennis, with 27 titles at the national championships in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In Grand Slam tournaments, he reached the round of 16 four times at Roland Garros (1955, 1960, 1964 and 1971) and three times on grass at Wimbledon (1965, 1967 and 1970). Number 1 in Italy for 14 years between 1959 and 1976, an absolute record, and number 2 four more times (1960, 1961, 1962 and 1973). He played 29 matches with the national team, winning eight singles and six doubles.
Léa Pericoli in an archive image (Ansa archives)
At the Italian Open, she was a semi-finalist in 1967, reached the quarter-finals 4 times (1959, 1962, 1969 and 1971) and the round of 16 8 times (1953, 1955, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970) . and 1972). She played five doubles finals alongside Silvana Lazzarino (from 1962 to 1965 and in 1967). With her, he inaugurated the Italian team in London in 1963.
Interview with Léa Pericoli and Adriano Panatta (Raï)
His life was an adventure that began in Addis Ababa, where his father moved with his family after the Ethiopian War. It was he who gave her the first commotion. A long love affair with tennis began, which continued in Kenya, where she was sent to study, and then around the world. At 17, while on vacation in Versilia where Paolo Bertolucci's father taught, he understood that his love could become something more and chose tennis as a career. “Whoever tries to become champion is waging a constant war: it’s a very educational sport that has taught me a lot,” he said. With the same spirit, he defied prejudices, faced and defeated two tumors: uterine carcinoma in 1973 and breast cancer in 2012. President Angelo Binaghi and the entire Italian tennis movement embrace his family with affection at this time of great pain.
