San Francisco ? The San Francisco Opera has projected a $7.7 million deficit for the 2002 fiscal year.

The downturn in the Bay Area’s economy and the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks resulted in poor ticket sales, said Elizabeth Connell Nielsen, a spokeswoman for the opera.

“We estimated a reduction of approximately $2.5 million in single-ticket sales as a direct result of 9/11,” she said.

Two-thirds of the opera company’s shows opened after the terrorist attacks between September and November.

Connell Nielsen explained that the company’s September 2002 opening of the gala production of Saint Francois d’Assise has not contributed to the fiscal 2002 deficit since it opened after the fiscal year’s end in July.