Gamecock Women's Tennis Adds Silvia Chinellato to 2016-17 Roster

Aug. 11, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Carolina women’s tennis head coach Kevin Epley announced the addition of Silvia Chinellato to the 2016-17 roster on Thursday afternoon. Chinellato, a native of Como, Italy, will be joining the Gamecocks this fall.

“We are thrilled that Silvia has elected to join the Gamecocks to develop academically and athletically over the next four years,” said Epley. “She is a great competitor with a huge forehand, and we expect that she will make an immediate impact in the SEC.”

Chinellato, one of Italy’s top junior performers, reached as high as No. 154 in the ITF Junior world rankings in 2015 and currently holds a 2.3 Italian Federation Rating. In 2015, she captured the title at the Trento Open by defeating Anastasia Grymalska, a WTA top-200 player. Chinellato has also competed in the Junior Wimbledon Championships (2014) and the European Summer and Winter Cups (2011-13). In addition, she spent three years with the Italian National Team from 2011 to 2013.

South Carolina enters the 2016-17 season after posting a 19-8 mark in the 2015-16 campaign, including a 9-4 record in the SEC. Additionally, the program posted its most wins since 1995 on the way to earning a 22nd-straight NCAA berth. The Gamecocks hosted both the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Carolina Tennis Center for the first time since 2002.