Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
On a day when Serena Williams was supposed to make history, Flavia Pennetta did instead.
Pennetta became the first Italian woman to win the US Open when she beat her countrywoman and close friend Roberta Vinci, 7-6 (4), 6-2, one day after Vinci pulled a Buster Douglas-like upset of Williams, who was seeking the first Grand Slam in 27 years.
Pennetta, who, at 33, is the oldest first-time Grand Slam champion ever, then announced her retirement in front of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that included Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who flew to New York to support the All-Italian final. She later said she intends to play through the end of the season.
“I will play until the end of the year, but this is my last match in New York,” Pennetta said after winning her first — and last — Grand Slam singles title despite facing odds of 150-1 to win.
Pennetta, who picked up a winner’s check of $3.3 million, is the second Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title, following Francesca Schiavone, who captured the 2010 French Open.
“I’m really happy right now,” Pennetta said. “I have to say before this tournament, I never think to be so far, I never think to be a champion. It’s a big surprise for me.
“This is one of my favorite tournaments, I really enjoy to play here.”
En route to the final, Pennetta took out former champion Sam Stosur as well as No. 5 seed Petra Kvitova and No. 2 seed Simona Halep.
She had cruised into the final with a straight-sets win over Halep on Saturday, while Vinci had to summon all of her emotional and physical energy to take out Serena in a three-set epic.
The two women lived together in Rome for four years when Pennetta was 14 and Vinci was 13, and Pennetta described her as “like a sister.”
“It was tough,” Vinci said. “The past 24 hours with a lot of things on my mind and I was a little bit tired, especially in the first set.
“But I lost in the final. I’m really happy and I’m really happy for Flavia.”
