It was the final that no-one expected. As the semi-final line-up was confirmed, it was expected to be relative formality. Simona Halep and Serena Williams would both win their clashes against Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci, thereby setting up a fitting finale, where the American would have had an excellent chance of becoming the first player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four Majors in a calendar year. The Italian duo obviously had no respect for convention, and in doing so shattered a number of long-standing records. This is the first time that Serena has been defeated in a Grand Slam encounter since Alizé Cornet’s victory over her at Wimbledon in the third round. Vinci, in the process of beating the world number one, became the first unseeded to reach a Slam final since Justine Henin reached the 2010 Australian Open final.

The two friends had both enjoyed successful runs in the past at Flushing Meadows, with Vinci having reached the last eight twice, while Pennetta once achieved a semi-final finish. Given their rankings, Pennetta would probably have been considered the slight favourite, although as the semi-finals showed, rankings can mean little.

The two knew each other’s games well, having played doubles together for a time, with both having enjoyed spells at world number one at that format. Both players still went into the contest with a superior doubles to singles ranking. The key to Vinci’s win over Williams had been her volleying, slice backhand and feel at the net. Pennetta’s close relationship with her Italian compatriot meant however that she was able to latch onto a lot of the disguised shots that Vinci was producing, and her height and power advantage (at 5’8’’, she is four inches taller than Vinci) gave her an extra dimension. Vinci was being forced onto the back foot in a few of the early exchanges, and was relying on her soft hands and speed around the court to keep her in the rallies. That said, it was still level-pegging with neither player losing their cool in their first Grand Slam final. A willingness to step into the ball was evident from both players, with Vinci particularly keen to make it a match that revolved around finesse rather than physicality, while Pennetta was hoping to make full use of her strong forehand.

Vinci was digging her heels in and finding her range, finding the lines with some superb forehands and forcing Pennetta to scramble around the court, as the 32-year-old desperately tried to fend off a break of serve. However, her opponent eventually achieved the first break of serve, as Vinci attempted one slice backhand too many, the ball spiralling into the net cord. It was a match where the backhand dominated, as both players were happy to be patient, before waiting for their chance to strike. In a particularly tactical rally in the sixth game, Pennetta eventually made her move, pummelling a two-handed backhand into the corner. The match was still evenly-poised though, with Vinci playing some expansive tennis and using her excellent volleying ability to reduce the time that her 33-year-old Fed Cup team-mate had to react. The pattern of play remained unaltered, as Vinci was still more willing to throw in the drop-shot. She forced break point with that exact tactic at 3-4, when an exquisite drop was latched onto by Pennetta and pushed down the line. However, the world number 26 must have been dismayed to see the return ball fly past her, courtesy of Vinci’s immaculate one-handed backhand. The diminutive shotmaker duly got her rewards and the players were level-pegging again.

Pennetta’s double-handed backhand was a real weapon, and not for the first, she slammed one into the opening court to remind her long-time friend that it was still very much neck-and-neck. As well as her greater physical strength, Pennetta can also call upon one of the best volleys in the women’s game, having, like Vinci, been number one in the world for doubles (and still residing in the world’s top ten). She used this ability to good effect to draw level at 5-5. Despite the exhausting nature of the rallies, the intensity did not noticeably drop from either player in the opening set, with both players covering every inch of the court. Despite the fact that neither player had previously appeared in a Grand Slam singles final, nerves did not appear evident, as the crowd were treated to an enthralling spectacle. Vinci had come into this tournament unseeded, but, perhaps due to her experience, seemed calm and was swinging, as both players showed off their full range of shots as the set inevitably culminated in a tiebreak. Pennetta managed to edge her nose in front, and, although Vinci was a constant thorn in her side, she eventually prevailed 7-6 (7-4)

The second set was a much more one-sided affair as Vinci was slowly shut out of the match and Pennetta found more space to breathe and express herself. However it did not look that way initially, the world number 43 did produce arguably the shot of the match in the opening game of the set, opening up her body as Pennetta was off-balance at the baseline to caress a sumptuous drop-shot cross-court, with the ball just landing in. She then produced some more excellence a point later, pinging the ball from side-to-side with laser-sharp accuracy, pushing Pennetta out wide with a topspin backhand, before hitting a superb cross-court forehand to the opposite side. To her credit, Pennetta managed to reach the ball, flicking the ball from behind her back into play, but it went straight into the path of Vinci, who gleefully flicked it off her toes and into the open court.

The rallies continued to enthrall and amaze, and it was summed up by a point which perfectly illustrated the contrast in styles, this time going in Pennetta’s favour. After a couple of slice-backhands from Vinci and two-handed backhands from Pennetta, Vinci decided to chip and charge. Pennetta met the ball well, but Vinci had closed off the angle and clubbed an emphatic volley into the open court. Pennetta then scooped up another double-handed backhand. Running back, Vinci just about managed to get a connection on the ball, but her overhead lacked power. Even at this point, Pennetta had a lot to do, but she once again displayed great athleticism to reach the ball and sweep the backhand down the line, to the delight of the crowd.

The 33-year-old subsequently got the early break, and although Vinci was still chasing down every ball and displaying considerable skill, it was now her adversary who was dictating the time. This was seen at the end of the third game, as a delicious drop-shot from Pennetta forced Vinci to rush into the net and make minimal contact on a cross-court backhand flick, which came to no avail. The contest started to run away from the Taranto-born player, and, although she was still hitting some winners, her level had noticeably dropped, leading to another break of serve. The game was over as a contest, and Pennetta really started to open up her shoulders, bludgeoning a superb double-handed backhand down the line. Vinci had an opportunity to get a break back, but uncharacteristically snatched at a volley, before eventually capitalising to get her first game of the second set on the board. Serena Williams’ conqueror was still very much giving it a go, and clearly believed that there was still life in the contest. She held serve to get the game back to 4-2, and then pushed Pennetta hard on her service game. Despite her tenacity, she was never quite able to wrestle momentum away from Pennetta, who left the crowd aghast with an extraordinary drop-shot-lob combination that had Vinci bamboozled. The final game saw Pennetta step on the accelerator, as she fashioned three break points, and a superb forehand finished the job off.

 

More drama was to follow, as Pennetta announced that that had been her last campaign at Flushing Meadows, as she was retiring at the end of the year. It was a fitting end to her Major career, as she became the oldest first-time Grand Slam winner in the Open era at 33 years and six months.

Alex Bowmer

 

Featured image: The Independent