Pennetta wins US Open for 1st Slam title, says she'll retire, Talk about traveling out on top: Flavia Pennetta won the U.S. Open for her aboriginal Grand Slam appellation at age 33, and again appear during the bays commemoration she has absitively to retire.
Pennetta did not accept to exhausted Serena Williams in the final. Instead, Pennetta bare to get accomplished the woman who concluded Williams' Grand Slam bid, Roberta Vinci. And Pennetta was able to do just that, affairs abroad in a antagonism of Italians who were opponents and doubles ally as kids.
In one of the unlikeliest above finals in women's tennis history, the 26th-seeded Pennetta exhausted Vinci 7-6 (4), 6-2 at Flushing Meadows on Saturday — again appear she was accessible to adhere up her racket, a accommodation she kept clandestine until that moment.
"This is how I say goodbye to tennis," Pennetta said as her fiance, tennis amateur Fabio Fognini, captured the arena with his phone's camera. "I couldn't anticipate to accomplishment in a bigger way."
That advertisement served as a altogether out-of-nowhere cessation to a surprise-filled tournament, the better shock getting Vinci's win adjoin Williams in the semifinals Friday. That chock-full Williams' 33-match acceptable band in majors and her attack to become the aboriginal amateur aback Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a individual season.
"I anesthetized 24 hours with a lot of things on mind," Vinci said. "And I was a little bit tight, abnormally in the aboriginal set."
Pennetta is the oldest woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to become a Grand Slam best for the aboriginal time. Vinci, who is 32, would accept becoming that acumen had she been able to chase her beauteous agitated of Williams in Friday's semifinals with addition victory.
This was the aboriginal above final for either participant, and the aboriginal time aback WTA computer rankings were instituted in 1975 that both U.S. Open women's finalists were ranked alfresco the top 20 (Vinci is 43rd). Pennetta entered the clash with alone a 17-15 almanac this season. Vinci was 20-20 in 2015, and 40-43 in majors for her career.
They grew up 40 afar (65 kilometers) afar in littoral towns in Puglia, a arena on the heel of Italy's boot-shaped peninsula, and accept been adverse anniversary added on cloister for two decades — with the stakes abundant lower, of course. They aggregate action and tears in the locker allowance Friday while watching a video of a TV account they did aback in 1999, if they won the French Open inferior doubles appellation as teenagers.
"It's tough," Vinci acknowledged, "to play adjoin one amateur that you apperceive (for a) continued time."
And if Saturday's bout ended, afterwards Pennetta flung her agitation overhead, she went up to the net to acquisition Vinci, not for a handshake but for a diffuse hug. Vinci patted her pal on the aback repeatedly, while Pennetta cried. Again they sat on adjoining amusement chairs and chatted, just a brace of foes and friends.
Vinci pantomimed throwing a bite as a joke, and Pennetta captivated an arm about her. Vinci charmed the army later, adage she capital the champion's trophy, not the one for the runner-up, again assuming to abduct Pennetta's $3.3 actor check.
"We apperceive anniversary added aback forever," Pennetta said. "We absorb so abundant time together, we could address a book about our lives."
Quite a affiliate Saturday would provide.
Rain fell in the additional set, again angry into a cloudburst afterwards the match. The players approved apartment in the clash referee's office, area they airish for pictures with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, who abounding the final and accustomed a continuing acclaim from assemblage if he was apparent on the arena's videoboards.
Pennetta won by arena absolutely and finer application her best shot, a collapsed two-handed backhand. It helped that Vinci's volleys and backhand allotment that were so able adjoin Williams were beneath reliable this time.
Pennetta won the aboriginal 10 credibility that lasted at atomic 10 strokes. Vinci alone won the credibility on three of her aboriginal 10 trips to the net, and anguish up 15 for 30 in that category.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium army — some association had paid top dollar for tickets, in apprehension of seeing Williams yield aim at history — was rather quiet, abnormally in the aperture set. Perhaps it was difficult to adjudge which almost alien woman to acclamation for.
Now, though, Pennetta will consistently be accepted as a Grand Slam champion, even if she never wins — or even plays — addition match.
Pennetta did not accept to exhausted Serena Williams in the final. Instead, Pennetta bare to get accomplished the woman who concluded Williams' Grand Slam bid, Roberta Vinci. And Pennetta was able to do just that, affairs abroad in a antagonism of Italians who were opponents and doubles ally as kids.
"This is how I say goodbye to tennis," Pennetta said as her fiance, tennis amateur Fabio Fognini, captured the arena with his phone's camera. "I couldn't anticipate to accomplishment in a bigger way."
That advertisement served as a altogether out-of-nowhere cessation to a surprise-filled tournament, the better shock getting Vinci's win adjoin Williams in the semifinals Friday. That chock-full Williams' 33-match acceptable band in majors and her attack to become the aboriginal amateur aback Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a individual season.
"I anesthetized 24 hours with a lot of things on mind," Vinci said. "And I was a little bit tight, abnormally in the aboriginal set."
Pennetta is the oldest woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to become a Grand Slam best for the aboriginal time. Vinci, who is 32, would accept becoming that acumen had she been able to chase her beauteous agitated of Williams in Friday's semifinals with addition victory.
This was the aboriginal above final for either participant, and the aboriginal time aback WTA computer rankings were instituted in 1975 that both U.S. Open women's finalists were ranked alfresco the top 20 (Vinci is 43rd). Pennetta entered the clash with alone a 17-15 almanac this season. Vinci was 20-20 in 2015, and 40-43 in majors for her career.
They grew up 40 afar (65 kilometers) afar in littoral towns in Puglia, a arena on the heel of Italy's boot-shaped peninsula, and accept been adverse anniversary added on cloister for two decades — with the stakes abundant lower, of course. They aggregate action and tears in the locker allowance Friday while watching a video of a TV account they did aback in 1999, if they won the French Open inferior doubles appellation as teenagers.
"It's tough," Vinci acknowledged, "to play adjoin one amateur that you apperceive (for a) continued time."
And if Saturday's bout ended, afterwards Pennetta flung her agitation overhead, she went up to the net to acquisition Vinci, not for a handshake but for a diffuse hug. Vinci patted her pal on the aback repeatedly, while Pennetta cried. Again they sat on adjoining amusement chairs and chatted, just a brace of foes and friends.
Vinci pantomimed throwing a bite as a joke, and Pennetta captivated an arm about her. Vinci charmed the army later, adage she capital the champion's trophy, not the one for the runner-up, again assuming to abduct Pennetta's $3.3 actor check.
"We apperceive anniversary added aback forever," Pennetta said. "We absorb so abundant time together, we could address a book about our lives."
Quite a affiliate Saturday would provide.
Rain fell in the additional set, again angry into a cloudburst afterwards the match. The players approved apartment in the clash referee's office, area they airish for pictures with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, who abounding the final and accustomed a continuing acclaim from assemblage if he was apparent on the arena's videoboards.
Pennetta won by arena absolutely and finer application her best shot, a collapsed two-handed backhand. It helped that Vinci's volleys and backhand allotment that were so able adjoin Williams were beneath reliable this time.
Pennetta won the aboriginal 10 credibility that lasted at atomic 10 strokes. Vinci alone won the credibility on three of her aboriginal 10 trips to the net, and anguish up 15 for 30 in that category.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium army — some association had paid top dollar for tickets, in apprehension of seeing Williams yield aim at history — was rather quiet, abnormally in the aperture set. Perhaps it was difficult to adjudge which almost alien woman to acclamation for.
Now, though, Pennetta will consistently be accepted as a Grand Slam champion, even if she never wins — or even plays — addition match.
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