Flavia Pennetta awaits in an all-Italian final, and either way we will have a new major title winner in the women’s game. For Serena, the dream of a calendar-year slam ends as she concedes her US Open crown. Vinci gave up doubles this year to concentrate on her singles career, and if she can take that title on Saturday it would be a decision pretty well vindicated. Thanks for reading, bye!
Well where did that come from? I gave you the odds before the match and presumably an optimistic Italian tennis fan somewhere has made a fistful. There is no doubt that Serena Williams was not at her best, but the way the 32-year-old Vinci glided across the court covering every inch was so impressive, delivering some fine net play in the process, and she has dished up perhaps the biggest shock in grand slam semi-final history.
Vinci turns to the crowd: “Today is my day. Sorry guys!” They applaud heartily. What will make this moment feel real, she’s asked. “I don’t know,” she grins. “Ask another question please.”
Roberta Vinci: “So many things in my mind, this was an incredible match, I lost the first set, I tried to stay in every single point. At the end when I served I was like [mimes being incredibly shaky]. I think it’s the best moment of my life.”
Vinci wins the third set to reach the US Open final!
*Williams 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Vinci wins the first point with the help of a challenge and then comes up with a beautifully calm and precise drop-shot half volley at the net to leave Williams floundering at the baseline. Williams charges in behnd her next backhand but finds the net with her volley: three match points! Vinci hits Serena from one corner of the court to the other, pushing her deeper and deeper before standing still and delivering another perfect drop shot which lands plumb on the sideline. Vinci is in the US Open final!
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Williams 6-2, 4-6, 4-5 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams takes her time, deep breaths. The calendar-year slam is slipping from her grasp but she isn’t going to let it go easily. She summons a couple more aces – 16 now in the match – and Vinci will serve for a place in the US Open final.
“At work, no TV, best running comments are your live updates,” emails John Burgoon. “Thanks for a superb job, this Williams-Vinci match is a pulse-pounder.” Thanks John and it really is. Stunning match.
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*Williams 6-2, 4-6, 3-5 Vinci (*denotes next server)
At 15-15 Williams goes on the attack, daringly plucking lobs out of the sky with a fine show of skill. She wins the next point in the same fashion and Williams has two break-back points. The first she wastes, getting on top in the rally before flatlining a backhand just long – her unforced error count is 36 to Vinci’s 19. The second break point goes up in smoke too before Williams clatters the net with the next and suddenly Vinci is on the verge: one point to be one game away from knocking out the world No1. Is the 32-year-old nervous? Too right, out of nowhere delivering one of the most inaccurate double faults you are likely to see. Despite that, Vinci regathers and Williams thumps a return wide for the Italian to hold. Incredible.
Williams 6-2, 4-6, 3-4 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Lethargic back-to-back double faults have the crowd on edge at 15-30, but Vinci can’t take a wonderful, inviting chance to give herself two crucial break points, slicing a backhand volley wide. The Italian then hits a passing shot long but converts with the next one to push the game to deuce. Tension abound. Serena pummels a 126mph ace, her most powerful of the match. Then, oh wow: WHAT. A. POINT. Both players run each other to every corner of the court, chopping the ball at impossible angles, almost playing from side to side at one moment, until Vinci keeps her composure to get to the net and finally shake off a rampaging Serena with a two-punch volley. Majestic tennis and Vinci rightly soaks up the applause. Williams stands behind the baseline, hands on hips, for at least 30 seconds as the crowd settle down. Break point. Vinci wins it after a Williams error and she’s broken!
*Williams 6-2, 4-6, 3-3 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Vinci holds with alarming ease, from the point of view of Serena, or calendar grand slam fans.
Williams 6-2, 4-6, 3-2 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams thrashes an impossible backhand on the run crosscourt and it lands plumb on the sideline halfway between the net and the service line. She lets out an almighty bellow, followed by a series of screams, shouts, arm waving and general things you might do perhaps when alerting a ship headed towards disaster. This is proving harder than anyone thought for the world No1. She holds and the third set remains on serve.
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*Williams 6-2, 4-6, 2-2 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Whether nervous, tired or something else, there is something up with Serena Williams who is playing so inconsistently, and having to really try to get through her groundstrokes. Vinci, though, is looking sharp and moving the American around the court well. The Italian holds with an erroneous Williams forehand.
Williams 6-2, 4-6, 2-1 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams delivers her 13th ace but a couple of mistakes allow Vinci back into the game and it goes to deuce. The world No1 flaps a shot wide to offer Vinci a crucial break-back point. Serena’s first serve is called long, but only after a challenge the delay perhaps tampers with her rhythm, second-serving long for a double fault, and Vinci breaks straight back.
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*Williams 6-2, 4-6, 2-0 Vinci (*denotes next server)
At 15-15, a 72mph second serve is destroyed by Williams who fizzes the ball past Vinci for yet another winner. She wins another to open up a break point, before dominating the next rally, and after Vinci can only blob one high in the air, Williams drive-volleys home the early break.
Williams 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
A shell-shocked Arthur Ashe Stadium has gone a little quiet. As has Williams herself, doing away with the frustrated screams and replacing them with that cold, hard stare. She delivers a couple of bruising serves before shuffling to the other side of the court, muttering to herself.
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Vinci wins the second set!
*Williams 6-2 4-6 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Williams crushes a forehand crosscourt to win the first point, goes long with the second, blasts a forehand winner in the third and hits long again on the fourth. 30-30. Williams gets herself a break point but Vinci gets around a sweetly struck inside-out forehand to keep the game alive. At deuce, Williams misses a backhand to present a set point: in a long rally Vinci shifts Williams left, then right, then back across and eventually Serena can’t cope, hooking a backhand long! Vinci doubles over and lets out a scream of delight. Game on.
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Williams 6-2 4-5 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams is visibly toiling on court, screaming and grunting and mixing some uncharacteristic errors with unstoppable groundstrokes. She finishes off the game with the latter, hooting a forehand down the line and forcing Vinci to serve it out.
*Williams 6-2 3-5 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Vinci gives a smile after challenging her first serve, which Hawk-Eye barely had enough pixels to illustrate was just, just out. At deuce Williams loses her balance returning for Vinci’s first ace of the match, and the Italian moves to within one game of winning the second set.
Williams 6-2 3-4 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams serve suddenly looks impenetrable once more, and holds to love having served her 11th ace of the match.
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*Williams 6-2 2-4 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Sky cut to Peter Fleming who is dishing out analysis whilst sitting in the stands like an ordinary punter, but an ordinary punter talking to himself with a massive foam Sky Sports microphone under his nose. He thinks Vinci needs to win this next game, and win she does when Serena flops a forehand onto the tape of the net, and it drops down on her side.
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Williams 6-2 2-3 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Wowza. Vinci produces a stunning volley, moving to the net like a nimble 20-something to kill off the opening point of the game. A couple of deep backhands help open up three set points; will she convert? She doesn’t have to, as Williams flattens a backhand off court at 30-40 for her. Vinci breaks.
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*Williams 6-2 2-2 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Some long rallies are ended in the main by Williams hitting the net, and Vinci is allowed a relatively easy hold.
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Williams 6-2 2-1 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams dishes out her seventh and eighth ace, clattering one down the T to finish the game to love. The pressure is back on the Italian’s serve.
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*Williams 6-2 1-1 Vinci (*denotes next server)
At 30-15 down Williams tries to attack with a volley but leaves it a little short and Vinci clears her opponent’s head with a measured top-spin lob. Williams doesn’t give in though, and a buggy-whip sort of forehand winner pulls the game to deuce. Her finesse doesn’t always match her power, however, and a botched drop shot is easily put away by the Italian, who goes on to hold when Williams smashes the net with a backhand return.
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Williams 6-2 1-0 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Here’s something: Vinci races into a 0-30 lead and gives herself three break points after anticipating a wide serve and shuffling across to bury a return winner. However Williams fights back, passing Vinci at the net before watching a return float a couple of inches wide of the sideline. An ace and another unreturnable serve see through an edgy hold.
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Williams wins the first set!
*Williams 6-2 Vinci (*denotes next server)
At 15-0 down Williams gets around a backhand return and hammers it across Vinci into the elbow of the court for a brilliant winner. She wins the next two, the latter after anticipating a Vinci drop shot, to create two two set points. The world No1 hits the first into the net and, for once, can’t return a Vinci serve. The Italian gets to the safety raft of deuce, but takes only two points to let go, losing the set with a deep backhand slice which lands just a little too deep.
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Williams 5-2 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams continues her dominance and, despite a wonderful crosscourt forehand winner by the Italian, sees out the game with an aggressive drive volley and ridiculous pick-up right off the baseline which Vinci can’t return.
*Williams 4-2 Vinci (*denotes next server)
At 15-15 Williams works the ball wide and follows in, half-volleying to the opposite corner and a puffing Vinci can only flap a backhand into the net. Vinci wins the next point but loses a challenge when she slaps a forehand down – but a fraction wide of – the line. Break point, and Williams flatlines a forehand past Vinci to close it out. Three games on the spin and Williams looks to have found her groove.
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Williams 3-2 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
Williams hammers through the game to love with a couple of forehand winners doing the trick, and the pressure is right back on Vinci’s serve.
*Williams 2-2 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Backhand winners pop from Williams’ racket, and in a flash – with plenty of screams of self-encouragement – she breaks back immediately.
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Williams 1-2 Vinci* (*denotes next server)
At 15-15 Vinci uses a well disguised drop shot to bring Williams in but can’t put away the chance that follows, hitting the top of the net. After a Vinci error Williams should see out the game but she hooks a couple of backhands long to take it to deuce. The American is feeling her way into this one a little, not firing just yet it seems. She pumps out an ace to shush me but Vinci isn’t done yet and hurries through two points to create a break opportunity. Serena jams one right into Vinci’s body and as the ball flies into the crowd screams “come on!”. It doesn’t do much for her though – an unfortunate slip precedes an overhit backhand, and Vinci breaks!
*Williams 1-1 Vinci (*denotes next server)
Vinci makes a good start, using a devilishly low chopped backhand slice to disrupt Williams’ rhythm. A couple of iffy returns help the Italian to hold.
Serena Williams 1-0 Roberta Vinci* (*denotes next server)
An ominous start as Williams booms down an ace. A nervous prod into the net from both players follow, but an ace and an unreturnable serve see it out and the first game is a comfortable hold for the reigning champion.
Williams will serve first.
With all that experience the 32-year old will not be fazed by the occasion, at least. Then again, even in Vinci’s preferred doubles Williams has the edge in their head to head. Errani and Vinci are the fifth most successful partnership in the open era, but in another bit of oneupmanship, the Williams sisters are third.
The knock-up is done and tennis is about to commence.
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Williams is nudging ever closer to the calandar slam, her fifth major title in a row and her 22nd grand slam title in total. Can we make any case for Vinci winning this match, barring a cruel Williams /ankle twist/hammy pull/collision with a bolt of lightning?
Well Vinci does have plenty of previous when it comes to winning grand slam titles, with all the big ones in her trophy cabinet marked ‘doubles’. Vinci and Sara Errani formed the most potent partnership in the game before disbanding ahead of this season to concentrate on their singles games – something which has reaped reward for Vinci: this is her first ever major singles semi-final.
So, Flavia Pennetta awaits either Serena Williams or Roberta Vinci after beating Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3. What price an all-Italian US Open final tomorrow? Well, while I don’t wish to condone gambling, the odds going into this match make interesting reading. In some quarters you can get 18-1 on Roberta Vinci to win this semi-final (no, tennis hasn’t changed, it’s still a two-person contest). Or, put another way, place £1/$1 on Williams to make it to the final and, if she gets there, you’ll be rewarded with five shiny pence/cents.
Williams has four wins from four matches played against the 32-year-old Vinci down the years. Eight sets from eight, 48 game won to 18 lost. All of which means we are either about to see another routine step towards the calendar Grand Slam, or the second part of one of the greatest days in Italian tennis.
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Lawrence will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Les Carpenter’s interview with the fitness guru who helped Serena stay strong:
The man who helped to remake Serena Williams and save Peyton Manning’s career is not an imposing figure. Mackie Shilstone is slender with a shock of white hair. His voice does not boom. But for years athletes from boxers to baseball pitchers have come to his New Orleans office looking for magic. He has given them enough hope that now, at 64 years old, he is often not called a trainer but “a career-extension specialist”.
His clients include Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr, Ozzie Smith and Darryl Strawberry. But by the end of this weekend his legacy might be the rebirth of two superstars of different genders in completely different sports who nonetheless have one priceless commodity: their right arms.
If Williams, at 33, can win her first calendar-year grand slam on Saturday and the 39-year-old Manning can show he is the Manning of old on the first NFL Sunday then Shilstone will have done some of his finest work yet. In neither case, will he be the primary reason for the player’s success. Much of the credit for Williams’s rise back to No1 has gone to her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, while Manning has long relied on Duke football coach David Cutcliffe for work on his mechanics.
But Shilstone came to both at moments of great doubt in their careers – Williams in the first pit of a professional tennis life that has played in three acts and Manning last winter when the quarterback wondered if his career was done. In each case he gave them reason to believe they can continue and offered the physical tools to make the renaissance happen.
