In one of the unlikeliest major finals in women’s tennis, the 26th-seeded Pennetta beat Vinci 7-6, 6-2 on Saturday at Flushing Meadows.
At the post-match press conference, Pennetta said she will play the remaining 2015 tournaments and then retire from the sport.
As the crowd reacted with gasps, Pennetta continued. “Was a really hard decision to make, but I’m happy that I did it. I’m really happy and proud of myself”.
The duo pulled off a series of remarkable upsets to set up the first all-Italian grand slam final, most notably unseeded Vinci’s shock win over Serena Williams that denied the world number one a chance to complete a Calendar Grand Slam. “This is the important point”, she explained.
For Flavia Pennetta, summing up her tumultuous, shocking, fascinating and heart-warming U.S. Open triumph was easily described in a single word. Both smiled during an extended hug.
Behind Schiavone, Pennetta, Vinci and Sara Errani, the country has four of the last nine. “Enjoy”. “Thank you for everything, you gave me a lot of emotion and I love you guys”. “What?” Vinci exclaimed, totally stunned that her pal would step down at the apex of her career.
That underdog story was only one of the many surprises unleashed upon New York during the tournament. They shared some laughter and tears in the locker room together Friday while watching a video of a TV interview they did back in 1999, when they won a junior doubles title at the French Open.
Asked for clarification whether she meant the Open was her last tournament, she said she would play on until the end of the year, her schedule to include two events in China and potentially the end-of-season WTA Tour Finals in Singapore.
“This is the flawless moment”, Pennetta told reporters. “It’s incredible”.
The breakthrough win came in Pennetta’s 49th Grand Slam appearance, the most needed for any women’s major champion, two more than France’s Marion Bartoli when she won at Wimbledon in 2013. The Open era began in 1968. Meanwhile the match produced a contest of contrasts as Pennetta flogged her accurate groundstrokes from the baseline while Vinci came to the net time and again to use her doubles skills and nous. “Perfect”. Two points later, Vinci’s smash earned a break and a similar volley helped her to take the next game too.
Williams looked to be feeling the weight of expectations against 32-year-old Vinci, over-hitting groundstrokes and second serve returns in an effort to overwhelm and discourage the Italian, who refused to shy away from the daunting challenge. “And Roberta likes it that way”, Vinci’s mother Luisa Maisano said. I’m going against my best friend and the greatest competitor in women’s tennis, in my mind, so it is a tough day. “I’m really happy”. “Today I think I played really well”. Pennetta is the first Italian woman to win the U.S. Open title.