Flavia Pennetta has earned her share of breathtaking moments on the tennis court in capturing three career singles championships, two doubles titles and helping Italy claim its first Fed Cup championship last September. But the 25-year-old from Brindisi, Italy vividly remembers her introduction to tournament tennis left her breathless.

"My first match was very funny because I was so nervous on the court. And I went to the hospital, so [it was] not so good," a laughing Pennetta recalls of the moment she first competed at age 11. "I was down like 6-2 and so nervous and they bring me to the hospital."

Since ending that initial match in a hospital, Pennetta has found the court to be a much more hospitable environment.

Pennetta has concluded the last three seasons ranked inside the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's top 40 in registering career wins over former top-ranked players Justine Henin and Martina Hingis as well as Nadia Petrova in that span. A personable presence on tour, Pennetta is close to another former World No. 1, Spanish boyfriend Carlos Moya, and like the man from Mallorca, she's adapted her game to multiple surfaces.

Advancing to her second straight Wimbledon fourth round last year, Pennetta pushed former champion Maria Sharapova to three sets before falling, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3.

Though she cites "home" as her favorite vacation spot, the woman who reached career-high ranks in singles (No. 16) and doubles (No. 14) last season, has turned the clay courts of Acapulco into her own personal sandbox. The 2005 Acapulco champion advanced to her fourth consecutive Acapulco final last weekend, losing to lefthander Emilie Loit, 7-6(0), 6-4. She owns a 19-4 record at the event.

A committed Fed Cup competitor, Pennetta helped Italy make history as it became the 11th nation in history to capture the Fed Cup championship with a 3-2 victory over host Belgium last September. Italy was the first team to win the Fed Cup without playing a tie at home during the competition since the home-and-away format was adopted in 1995. Pennetta has posted a 7-2 Fed Cup record with her lone losses coming to Amélie Mauresmo and Justine Henin.

Seeded 31st at the Pacific Life Open, Pennetta has a first-round bye and will play either Nathalie Dechy or Yung-Jan Chan in the second round. Should she win that match she could face defending champ Sharapova in the third round.

Scoop Malinowski caught up with Pennetta for this Biofile interview.

Height/Weight: 5-foot-7 3/4, 128 pounds.

Born On: February 25, 1982 in Brindisi, Italy.

Childhood Heroes: "Superman I think [smiles]. (Tennis?) I like Capriati and Seles. I had the posters on the wall and I always saw them play and I love [them] so much."

Hobbies/Interests: "I love to stay home, to enjoy my home. Because we don't have a lot of times to stay home. And I also like to go to the cinema — normal things that everyone likes to do."

Favorite Movie: "Braveheart."

Favorite TV Show: "24."

Musical Tastes: "Lauro Boccini. He's Italian."

Early Tennis Memory: "My first match was very funny because I was so nervous on the court. And I went to the hospital, so [laughs]. Not so good. (What happened?) I was down like 6-2 and so nervous and they bring me to the hospital (age 11)."

Pre-match Feeling: "Well, I think every match I'm very different. It's when you win some tournaments — it's very important to you. But I think I remember one match in Rome two years ago against Petrova. It was so good because she was like number 6, I'm number 79, something like that. And I won the match with all the people from Italy to watch the match was very, very good."

Favorite Meal: "Pasta."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Haagen Dazs pralines and cream."

Greatest Sports Moment: "I think a lot of great moments in my career. But maybe when I won the first tournament in Sopot. I was there alone without coach. Nobody, just me. And it was very exciting moment (d. Koukalova in 2004)."

Most Painful Moment: "In 2000 when I take like a stomach virus. I stop for six months. I didn't play for six months and it was very hard."

Favorite Tournament: "Acapulco. Because the place is very nice. I love the place."

Closest Tennis Friends: "Some Italian players like {Francesca] Schiavone, [Maria Elena] Camerin. Also Spanish players like [Anabel] Medina Garrigues."

Funniest Players Encountered: "Schiavone, for sure. And Carlos (Moya) and Rafa (Nadal) [laughs]. (What is it about them? People don't know they are so funny.) Well, they are a good champion but very normal people."

Toughest Competitors: "I think everyone. When you go on the court you have to have respect for everyone I think."

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: "I don't have one."

Favorite Vacation Spot: "I like to stay home when I have time. Because we don't stay a lot of time in the home. But also to go to the beach. I love the beach so maybe after this season when we finish, we will go to Mexico. Something like that. We don't know yet. We have to see."

People Qualities Most Admired: "Well, they need to be a good person. They don't have to lie. I don't like it. And they have to enjoy the life in every moment I think."

Scoop Malinowski created the Biofile interview in 1992. Scoop is a Tennisweek.com contributor, noted boxing expert and accomplished recreational tennis player who has competed in the USTA Nationals and the National Public Parks Championships at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. He captured the 2006 Tennis Week.com singles title with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over one of tennis journalism's top players, Dan Markowitz, smashing only two racquets in the process. His previous features for Tennis Week include Has Nadal Conquered Federer?, Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew, Players Make The Call On Commentators, The Jimmy Connors Interview. Please check out his redesigned web site www.thebiofile.com. To read more of Scoop's Biofiles on this site, please type Biofile in the search box located in the upper left corner of the screen.