Italy’s Roberta Vinci advanced to her first singles grand slam semifinal by downing France’s 40th ranked Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open.
Vinci is the third Italian in the last four years to make the semifinals in New York and, at No43, is the lowest ranked grand slam semifinalist since her compatriot Flavia Pennetta reached the last four at the US Open in 2013.
Her reward is a meeting with one of the two Williams sisters who faced off in a later match.
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“I’m so happy to be in the semifinal, if I play Serena or Venus, it doesn’t matter right now,” Vinci said.
Vinci reached her first grand slam semi-final at age 32, having lost in the 2012 and 2013 US Open quarter-finals.
“Amazing moment for me. It’s unbelievable,” Vinci said.
“First semi-final in my career. It was an incredible match, so tight, but I fight a lot. “Kristina played so good and at the end probably both were a little bit tight and a little bit scared about the match, but I’m so happy and I don’t have words to say.”
Mladenovic, playing in her first slam quarter-final at age 22, made 64 unforced errors and 11 double faults in failing to become the first Frenchwoman in a US Open semifinal since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006.
Vinci broke in the second game of the match and held out to claim the first set. Vinci saved six break points in the second game of the second set and traded breaks twice before Mladenovic smashed a backhand winner to break in the 12th game and take the set.
Vinci successfully appealed a line call to erase a break in the fourth game of the third set and broke in the critical seventh game, which lasted more than 14 minutes and through 10 deuces before Mladenovic hit a forehand long on Vinci’s fifth break point.
Vinci held twice more to secure the win after two hours and 32 minutes and guarantee herself at least $805,000 in prize money and a return to the world’s top-30.
A former doubles world No1 and owner of the career grand slam in doubles, Vinci says her experience partnering Sara Errani helped her.
“Me and Sara, we won five grand slams, so we play on this court and the other centre courts, so we are a little bit more confident to play in this situation.”
