NEW YORK -- Two match wins away from tennis history, Serena Williams finally failed in a major moment Friday.
Unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci stunned the No. 1-ranked player 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open semifinals for one of the greatest upsets the sport has ever seen. It was Williams' first loss in a Grand Slam singles match this year and ended her bid for the first calendar-year Slam since 1988.
Vinci finished Williams' 2015 major streak at 26 straight matches and, going back to last year's US Open, 33 overall.
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"It's amazing, like a dream," an emotional Vinci said in her on-court interview. "I'm in the final. I beat Serena. For me, it's an amazing moment, incredible, yes.
"For the American people, for Serena, for the Grand Slam, today's my day. Sorry, guys."
The final stroke, a deft drop shot, brought tears to Vinci's eyes. A 12-1 underdog at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Vinci admitted that even she did not expect to win.
It was the first time in her career that Vinci had taken so much as a set from Williams -- and now she has reached a Grand Slam final for the first time.
"I thought she played the best tennis in her career," Williams said. "You know, she's 33, and you know, she's going for it at a late age. So that's good for her to keep going for it and playing so well.
"Actually, I guess it's inspiring. But, yeah, I think she played literally out of her mind."
Vinci will play Flavia Pennetta, another Italian, in Saturday's final (3 p.m. ET, ESPN). Earlier Friday, Pennetta defeated No. 2 seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3. It's the first time in the Open era that two Italian women will meet in a major final.
Read More Here: http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13631724/serena-williams-pursuit-calendar-year-grand-slam-ends-us-open-semifinals
Related Article: US Open tennis live, watch us open live streaming
Unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci stunned the No. 1-ranked player 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open semifinals for one of the greatest upsets the sport has ever seen. It was Williams' first loss in a Grand Slam singles match this year and ended her bid for the first calendar-year Slam since 1988.
Vinci finished Williams' 2015 major streak at 26 straight matches and, going back to last year's US Open, 33 overall.
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"It's amazing, like a dream," an emotional Vinci said in her on-court interview. "I'm in the final. I beat Serena. For me, it's an amazing moment, incredible, yes.
"For the American people, for Serena, for the Grand Slam, today's my day. Sorry, guys."
The final stroke, a deft drop shot, brought tears to Vinci's eyes. A 12-1 underdog at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Vinci admitted that even she did not expect to win.
It was the first time in her career that Vinci had taken so much as a set from Williams -- and now she has reached a Grand Slam final for the first time.
"I thought she played the best tennis in her career," Williams said. "You know, she's 33, and you know, she's going for it at a late age. So that's good for her to keep going for it and playing so well.
"Actually, I guess it's inspiring. But, yeah, I think she played literally out of her mind."
Vinci will play Flavia Pennetta, another Italian, in Saturday's final (3 p.m. ET, ESPN). Earlier Friday, Pennetta defeated No. 2 seed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-3. It's the first time in the Open era that two Italian women will meet in a major final.
Read More Here: http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13631724/serena-williams-pursuit-calendar-year-grand-slam-ends-us-open-semifinals
Related Article: US Open tennis live, watch us open live streaming
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