French duo Herbert and Mahut lifts Men’s Doubles trophy
NEW YORK: Flavia Pennetta claimed a first grand slam singles title with a 7-6(4) 6-2 win over Roberta Vinci in an improbable all-Italian US Open final on Saturday to cap an extraordinary fortnight packed with upsets.
Pennetta, 33, becomes the fourth oldest grand slam winner in the Open Era and joins 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone as the only Italian women to win a major title.
The match was set up by jaw-dropping upsets as unseeded Vinci knocked off world number one Serena Williams in the semi-finals to end the 33-year-old American’s quest for a calendar year Grand Slam.
Pennetta’s path to the final included two huge hurdles which she cleared with confidence in taking down Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals and Romanian second seed Simona Halep in the semi-finals.
The Italian then announced her retirement from tennis moments after winning the title.
“I’m really happy right now,” said Pennetta, a 150-1 longshot to win the title when the Flushing Meadows fortnight began.
“Before this tournament I never think to be so far. I never think to be a champion. When things come like this it’s a big surprise to me.”
Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi was among 23,771 in Arthur Ashe Stadium watching the first all-Italian women’s Grand Slam final of the Open Era.
Pennetta took the top prize of $3.3 million (2.9 million euros), while runner-up Vinci received $1.6 million.
Meanwhile, The French duo of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut won the U.S Open Men’s double title, defeating the pair of Britain’s Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers at Flushing Meadows.
The 12th seeded pair claimed an easy 6-4, 6-4 triumph over the eighth seeded opponent in the final, Sport24 reported.
The French pair, who was this year’s Australian Open runners-up, has won their first Grand Slam men’s doubles crown.
They also became the first all-French duo to clinch a US Open doubles title. (Agencies)
