Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber is in the semifinals of the US Open for the first time since 2011 (she lost to eventual winner Sam Stosur). Kerber dispatched last year’s finalist Roberta Vinci 7-5 6-0. She will next face Caroline Wozniacki who defeated the surprising Anastasija Sevatsova 6-0 6-2.
Lots of people watching defending champion Novak Djokovic at practice:
“Before this tournament, I never thought to be this far, to be a champion. It’s been a long time getting here. It’s a dream come true. It’s also nice to play against a friend. She has had an incredible two weeks. We know each other since we were really young. Our first match, I was nine years old.”
“It was tough, over 24 hours there were a lot of things on my mind, a little tired. But I’m really happy to be in the final, really happy for Flavia. It’s tough to play someone you have known for a long time. Flavia played a great match.”
Congrats and thanks to bothchampions and all the best, Flavia for your new life!
A few pictures from the final:
Flavia Pennetta defeated Roberta Vinci 7-6 6-2 to win her first Gand Slam title, and announced her retirement during the trophy ceremony. Current and former players took to Twitter to congratulate her.
Among them of course, Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone:
Fla, welcome to the club. #Pennetta #usopen
— Francesca Schiavone (@Schiavone_Fra) September 12, 2015
and boyfriend Fabio Fognini:
LA REGINA DI NEW YORK SEI TUUUUUUUUU ! BRAVA NINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ❤️❤️❤️
— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) September 12, 2015
That smile ? so well deserved!!
— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) September 12, 2015
@flavia_pennetta congrats I'm so happy you won. You deserved it. I am also happy for the rest of your life's journey. I will miss your smile
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 12, 2015
Really happy for you @flavia_pennetta. You deserved to be the @usopen champion with great play these two weeks. Godetevi le vostre feste! ?
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) September 12, 2015
Roberta Vinci’s road to the final
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| R1 | Vania King | 6-4 6-4 |
| R2 | Denisa Allertova | 2-6 6-3 6-1 |
| R3 | Mariana Duque-Marino | 6-1 5-7 6-2 |
| R4 | Eugenie Bouchard [25] | wo |
| QF | Kristina Mladenovic | 6-3 5-7 6-4 |
| SF | Serena Williams [1] | 2-6 6-4 6-4 |
Roberta Vinci defeated just one seeded player en route to her first Grand Slam final, but what a win it was! In one of the greatest upsets in tennis history, she beat world No 1 Serena Williams in three sets and ended her Grand Slam dream.
This is the best match that I played in my life. At the end when I made a break, 4-3, and served, I was a little bit scared. But in my mind, I say, ‘Don’t think about this, because maybe you have more pressure. Stay calm, relax, and breathe during every single point. Don’t think that you have Serena on the other side of the court.
She will face Flavia Pennetta, with whom she won the Roland Garros junior doubles title, in an all-Italian final.
“It’s an incredible moment, but one Italian will win for sure,” said Vinci.
Flavia Pennetta’s road to the final
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| R1 | Jarmila Gajdosova | 6-2 3-6 6-1 |
| R2 | Monica Niculescu | 6-1 6-4 |
| R3 | Petra Cetkovska | 1-6 6-1 6-4 |
| R4 | Sam Stosur [22] | 6-4 6-4 |
| QF | Petra Kvitova [5] | 4-6 6-4 6-2 |
| SF | Simona Halep [2] | 6-1 6-3 |
After victories over 2011 US Open champion Sam Stosur and 2-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Flavia made a quick work of world number 2 Simona Halep in the semifinal. She was surprised by her own performance:
I never thought I’d be so far in the tournament, so it’s something special. I didn’t play really well in the last week and the feeling was not that good. I just come here and try to practice, try to find the good feeling with the ball, with the atmosphere here, and everything seems to be working.
Flavia Pennetta – Roberta Vinci head to head: 5-4
Flavia leads their head to head 5-4 but it seems tough to designate a favorite: nerves will play a big part in this match as they both will play their first Grand Slam final ever.
| Year | Tournament | Surface | Winner | Score |
| 2013 | US Open QF | Hard | Flavia Pennetta | 6-4 6-1 |
| 2010 | Roland Garros R64 | Clay | Flavia Pennetta | 6-1 6-1 |
| 2009 | Tokyo R64 | Hard | Roberta Vinci | 6-1 6-2 |
| 2009 | Palermo R16 | Clay | Flavia Pennetta | 7-5 6-1 |
| 2009 | Barcelona R16 | Clay | Roberta Vinci | 6-1 6-2 |
| 2007 | Acapulco R16 | Clay | Flavia Pennetta | 6-0 6-2 |
| 2007 | Bogota SF | Clay | Roberta Vinci | 3-6 7-6 6-2 |
| 2005 | Palermo QF | Clay | Flavia Pennetta | 6-1 4-6 7-6 |
| 2003 | Ortisei R32 | Carpet | Roberta Vinci | 2-6 7-6 6-3 |
Roberta or Flavia? Anything can happen today, but the only sure thing is one of the two will become the 4th Grand Slam singles champion from Italy after Nicola Pietrangeli, Adriano Panatta and Francesca Schiavone. The winner will also be the oldest first-time Grand Slam champion.
Photo credit: Maryland Male, Richard Wentworth
