| Tzipora Obziler | |
| Residence: | Givatayim, Israel |
| Birth Date: | 1973 4, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Givatayim |
| Turnedpro: | April 1997 |
| Retired: | August 2009 |
| Plays: | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Careerprizemoney: | $595,265 |
| Singlestitles: | 0 WTA, 14 ITF |
| Highestsinglesranking: | No. 75 (9 July 2007) |
| Australianopenresult: | 2R (2004, 2005) |
| Frenchopenresult: | 2R (2007) |
| Wimbledonresult: | 1R (2007, 2008) |
| Usopenresult: | 2R (2004) |
| Othertournaments: | yes |
| Olympicsresult: | 1R |
| Doublestitles: | 14 ITF |
| Highestdoublesranking: | No. 149 (10 April 2000) |
| Australianopendoublesresult: | 1R (2008) |
| Frenchopendoublesresult: | 1R (2007) |
| Wimbledondoublesresult: | 1R (2007) |
| Othertournamentsdoubles: | yes |
| Olympicsdoublesresult: | 1R |
Tzipora "Tzipi" Obziler (Hebrew: ציפורה אובזילר; born 19 April 1973) is an Israeli former professional tennis player.
She reached her career-high singles world ranking of No. 75 in on 8 July 2007, and career-high doubles ranking of No. 149 on 10 April 2000.
She was born in Givatayim, Israel, and is Jewish.[1]
Obziler speaks Hebrew and English.[2] After graduating from high school, she served two years in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF; the Israeli Army). Obziler attended classes at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
She and her girlfriend Hadas have a daughter together.[3] [4] [5] Obziler took a break from professional tennis when the baby was born, and came back to play in 2008.
She won 14 singles and 14 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. Despite her late run, she played her best tennis over the last few years and qualified for several Grand Slam events.
She started playing tennis at age 10, with friends. In 1997, she won ITF tournaments in singles in Jaffa and Antalya. In 1998, she repeated in Jaffa. In 1999, she won in Guimaraes and Azemeis (both Portugal), and two tournaments in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2000, she won tournaments in Ashkelon and Beersheba in Israel.
In 2002, she won in Mumbai, India, and Nonthaburi, Thailand. In November, she defeated world No. 62, Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland, in France. In 2003 in India, she had an upset win over world No. 36, Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, in straight sets.
In 2004, she played world No. 1, Justine Henin-Hardenne, in the US Open, winning a set but losing in the second round. In 2005, she won both the singles and doubles (with Shahar Pe'er) titles in Raanana, Israel. She also upset world No. 47, Émilie Loit of France, in the Australian Open in two sets.
In 2006, she managed to get further than round two of a WTA Tour event in her first events of the year at Auckland and at Guangzhou in late September. At the Auckland Open, she reached the quarterfinals with two good wins over Jamea Jackson and the fifth-seeded world No. 27, Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, before falling to Daniela Hantuchová. In Guangzhou, she reached semifinals of the tournament, along the way defeating world No. 51, Elena Vesnina of Russia, and world No. 20, Li Na of China, before falling to the fourth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets.
Other than that, she qualified for the Australian Open and various WTA Tour events, she won an ITF title in Washington, D.C., and finally an ITF doubles title in Antalya-Manavgat partnering Romina Oprandi.
In 2007, she beat 56th-ranked Aiko Nakamura of Japan in the round of 16 of the Pattaya City tournament in Thailand. She also made it to the semifinals in Bangalore and Patras. In August at the US Open, she lost in the first round to world No. 86, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. On 30 September 2007, she reached her first final on the WTA Tour, in which she lost to Virginie Razzano at the Guangzhou International Women's Open.
She represented Israel at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, in both singles and (with Shahar Pe'er) doubles.[6]
On 13 August 2009, Obziler convened a press conference to announce her retirement from professional tennis.[7]
Obziler was 48–30 in Federation Cup matches for the Israel Fed Cup team between 1994 and 2007, including wins in 12 of her most recent 13 matches.[8] Obziler was part of Israel's Federation Cup team that won 10 ties in a row to reach the competition's quarterfinals in 2008 – Israel's greatest Federation Cup achievement in history. Obziler is second ever in the amount of ties played, at 61. She shares the record with compatriot Anna Smashnova.[9]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |
| Tier I | |
| Tier II | |
| Tier III | |
| Tier IV & V (0–1) | |
| $75,000 tournaments | |
| $50,000 tournaments | |
| $25,000 tournaments | |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | 5 November 1990 | Ashkelon, Israel | Clay |  Ilana Berger | 1–6, 3–6 | |
| Loss | 2. | 14 September 1992 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Yael Segal | 3–6, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 3. | 29 August 1994 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Hila Rosen | 1–6, 5–7 | |
| Loss | 4. | 5 June 1995 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Nelly Barkan | 2–6, 2–6 | |
| Win | 5. | 24 February 1997 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard |  Nóra Köves | 7–5, 6–4 | |
| Win | 6. | 2 June 1997 | Antalya, Turkey | Hard |  Gülberk Gültekin | 6–0, 6–4 | |
| Loss | 7. | 17 November 1997 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard | Anna Smashnova | 3–6, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 8. | 14 December 1997 | Ismailia, Egypt | Clay |  Selima Sfar | 7–5, 5–7, 4–6 | |
| Win | 9. | 16 March 1998 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard |  Nadejda Ostrovskaya | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| Loss | 10. | 1 June 1998 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Hard |  Patricia Wartusch | 3–6, 2–6 | |
| Win | 11. | 24 May 1999 | Guimarães, Portugal | Hard |  Paula Hermida | 6–0, 6–4 | |
| Win | 12. | 30 May 1999 | Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal | Hard |  Raluca Ciochină | 6–1, 6–1 | |
| Win | 13. | 21 June 1999 | Istanbul, Turkey | Hard | Daniela Cocos | 6–0, 6–2 | |
| Loss | 14. | 26 July 1999 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Clay | Petra Mandula | 0–6, 6–4, 5–7 | |
| Win | 15. | 8 August 1999 | Istanbul, Turkey | Hard | Nadejda Ostrovskaya | 6–0, 7–5 | |
| Win | 16. | 30 October 2000 | Ashkelon, Israel | Hard |  Tetiana Luzhanska | 4–1, 1–3, 4–1, 4–1 | |
| Win | 17. | 20 November 2000 | Beersheba, Israel | Hard | Yevgenia Savransky | 4–1, 4–0, 2–4, 4–0 | |
| Loss | 18. | 7 July 2002 | Los Gatos, United States | Hard |  Ashley Harkleroad | 2–6, 2–6 | |
| Win | 19. | 24 November 2002 | Mumbai, India | Hard | Adriana Barna | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| Win | 20. | 1 December 2002 | Nonthaburi, Thailand | Hard | Ivana Abramović | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| Loss | 21. | 6 April 2004 | Dinan, France | Clay (i) | Timea Bacsinszky | 2–6, 1–6 | |
| Win | 22. | 30 May 2005 | Ra'anana, Israel | Hard |  Margalita Chakhnashvili | 6–0, 6–2 | |
| Loss | 23. | 5 December 2005 | Ra'anana, Israel | Hard | Margalita Chakhnashvili | 3–6, 5–7 | |
| Win | 24. | 1 August 2006 | Washington, United States | Hard |  Camille Pin | 7–5, 2–5 ret. | |
| Win | 25. | 17 March 2008 | Tenerife, Spain | Hard | Carla Suárez Navarro | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | 17 May 1993 | Tortosa, Spain | Clay | Limor Zaltz |  Maria Inés Araiz María Fernanda Landa | 6–4, 3–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 2. | 31 May 1993 | Cáceres, Spain | Hard | Limor Zaltz | Eleni Rossides Heidi Sprung | 6–0, 2–6, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 3. | 9 August 1993 | College Park, United States | Hard | Limor Zaltz | Susan Gilchrist Vickie Paynter | 2–6, 3–6 | |
| Loss | 4. | 22 August 1993 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Nataly Cahana | Shiri Burstein Hila Rosen | 0–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 5. | 29 August 1993 | Haifa, Israel | Hard | Nataly Cahana | Shiri Burstein Hila Rosen | 5–7, 5–7 | |
| Loss | 6. | 10 October 1994 | Burgdorf, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Ilana Berger |  Lenka Cenková Adriana Gerši | 6–4, 3–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 7. | 11 March 1996 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Limor Gabai | Shiri Burstein Hila Rosen | 3–6, 6–7(2) | |
| Loss | 8. | 20 April 1997 | Bari, Italy | Clay | Anna Smashnova | Sandra Načuk Dragana Zarić | 4–6, 2–6 | |
| Loss | 9. | 17 November 1997 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard | Anna Smashnova | Nataly Cahana Maaike Koutstaal | 2–6, 1–6 | |
| Loss | 10. | 3 May 1999 | Beersheba, Israel | Hard | Nataly Cahana | Nadejda Ostrovskaya Tatiana Poutchek | 1–6, 4–6 | |
| Win | 11. | 24 May 1999 | Guimarães, Portugal | Hard |  Kelly Liggan |  Sabina da Ponte  Giana Gutiérrez | 6–3, 6–1 | |
| Win | 12. | 31 May 1999 | Azeméis, Portugal | Hard | Kelly Liggan | Mariana Mesa Jorgelina Torti | 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(6) | |
| Win | 13. | 19 July 1999 | Dublin, Ireland | Carpet | Surina De Beer |  Hannah Collin Tina Hergold | 7–5, 4–6, 6–2 | |
| Win | 14. | 1 November 1999 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard | Hila Rosen | Kristie Boogert Michelle Gerards | 6–4, 1–6, 6–4 | |
| Loss | 15. | 14 February 2000 | Midland, United States | Hard (i) | Surina De Beer | Nannie de Villiers  Rika Hiraki | 1–6, 6–1, 1–6 | |
| Win | 16. | 27 March 2000 | Norcross, United States | Hard | Julia Abe | Jessica Steck Lindsay Lee-Waters | 5–7, 7–6(7), 6–4 | |
| Win | 17. | 19 May 2002 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Hila Rosen |  Lauren Breadmore Natalie Neri | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 | |
| Win | 18. | 1 December 2002 | Mumbai, India | Hard | Katarina Mišić |  Shelley Stephens Scarlett Werner | 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 | |
| Win | 19. | 8 November 2004 | Ramat HaSharon, Israel | Hard | Danielle Steinberg | Pemra Özgen Gabriela Velasco Andreu | 7–5, 6–3 | |
| Win | 20. | 21 November 2004 | Deauville, France | Clay | Vanessa Henke Květa Peschke | 6–4, 6–1 | ||
| Win | 21. | 5 December 2004 | Ra'anana, Israel | Hard | Shahar Pe'er | 6–3, 6–0 | ||
| Win | 22. | 30 May 2005 | Ra'anana, Israel | Hard | Shahar Pe'er | Daniela Klemenschits Sandra Klemenschits | 7–6(2), 1–6, 6–2 | |
| Win | 23. | 7 May 2006 | Antalya, Turkey | Clay | Romina Oprandi | Matea Mezak İpek Şenoğlu | 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 | |
| Loss | 24. | Deauville, France | Clay (i) | Silvia Disderi | Yuliya Beygelzimer Yuliana Fedak | 5–7, 4–6 | ||
| Win | 25. | 19 March 2007 | Ra'anana, Israel | Hard | Evgenia Linetskaya |  Martina Babáková Veronica Spiegel | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| Loss | 26. | 17 March 2008 | Tenerife, Spain | Hard |  Mervana Jugić-Salkić | Julie Coin Violette Huck | 4–6, 3–6 | |
| Win | 27. | 31 March 2008 | Patras, Greece | Clay | Anastasiya Yakimova | María José Martínez Sánchez Arantxa Parra Santonja | 7–5, 6–1 |