Wimbledon.com looks back at the talking points from the thirteenth day at the US Open...
Walking off in style, leaving on her own terms, Flavia Pennetta has announced her retirement from tennis a Grand Slam champion.
The Italian revealed her decision whilst still on court at the end of Saturday’s final, “This is the way I would like to say goodbye to tennis. This one was my last match at the US Open.”
Following 15 years on the pro circuit, Pennetta has decided to hang up her racket at the end of the season having lifted her maiden major in New York.
Social media exploded with reactions to Pennetta’s revelation with numerous current and former players congratulating the winner. Serena Williams tweeted, “Congrats I'm so happy you won. You deserved it. I am also happy for the rest of your life's journey. I will miss your smile”
All Italian affair
The most unexpected final commenced at Flushing Meadows with Pennetta up against friend and Fed Cup roommate Roberta Vinci for the first all-Italian Grand Slam singles final in the Open era.
The Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wiped clear his weekend schedule to fly to New York on Saturday morning to witness the spectacle.
Vinci had stunned the sporting world by completing one of the greatest upsets in history to beat world No.1 Serena Williams and destroy the American’s bid to win the calendar ‘Grand Slam’ in the semi-finals.
On the other side of the net, Pennetta had battled past No.2 seed Simona Halep in three gruelling sets on Thursday.
Vinci had only won a single Grand Slam match this season ahead of her staggering US Open run but Pennetta held a 5-4 favourable head-to-head record over her countrywoman, including a 2013 quarter-final at the US Open.
Tale of the tape
The opening exchanges were extremely cagey with Pennetta pensively rolling the ball into the centre of the court and Vinci hesitant to attack.
Tied at 2-2 the pair swayed from sublime shot making to shackled errors but it was Pennetta who squandered six break points before coaxing a final backhand error out of Vinci to break.
Some graceful volleying from Vinci enabled Serena Williams’ conqueror to tussle back into contention.
At 3-4 Vinci flicked a delightful drop shot and scooped backhand passing winner secured the break back. The set edged towards the tie-break, the rallies were intensifying with some spectacular shot making.
Pennetta found her range on the forehand in the tie-break and dragged a fatigued Vinci across the court to tease the errors from her close friend. Exactly on the hour mark, Vinci made a brace of errors under pressure from Pennetta to surrender the first set 7-6(4).
A deft drop volley and guided passing shot fired Pennetta into a commanding 2-0 lead and a trademark backhand winner down the line was the catalyst for the double break at 4-0.
Despite digging deep to wrestle back one of the breaks, Vinci fell victim to a marvellous lob to fall 5-2 behind and Pennetta ruthlessly broke for 6-2 to wrap up this sensational story line.
Speech bombshell
“I’m really happy right now, this has been one of my favourite tournaments. I never thought I could be a champion, it’s a big surprise for me to hold this trophy,” said Pennetta during her on court interview.
“When I was younger I wanted to be world No.1 or to win a Grand Slam, so this is a dream come true for me.
“It was so nice to play against a friend of mine, we played our first match together aged nine, so you could write a book about our lives together,” joked the Italian.
The champion then made the stunning announcement of her retirement before claiming, “I couldn’t think of a better way to finish my career.”
The world No.26 acknowledged the grind of the tour has contributed to her decision to retire. “Because sometimes it's getting hard for me to compete. When you are in the court, when you have to play 24 weeks in the year, you have to fight every week. And if you don't fight every week in the same way I did today, it's gonna be like bad,” said the US Open champion.
“ I don't feel to have this power anymore sometimes. So this is the perfect moment, I think. Was a really hard decision to make, but I'm really happy that I did it. I'm really happy and proud of myself.”
Reflecting in her press conference after the match, Vinci said, “I think it's an incredible moment for all Italian people. So now when I come back at home, I can realize what we made, because now for me not is normal, no,” added the runner-up. “But I'm in New York, I'm in the hotel, just have fun, but I would like to come back and try to understand what I added.
Murray and Peers fall at final hurdle
Jamie Murray and John Peers suffered heartache in the final for a consecutive Grand Slam after French 12th seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut won 6-4 6-4 at Flushing Meadows.
Murray and Peers finished runners-up at Wimbledon and had managed to stave off match point in their semi-final against American’s Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson.
On Saturday the pair failed to convert five break points up to 4-4 when Herbert and Mahut pounced to win a run of eight straight points, as Peers was broken to love, to drop the opener 6-4.
Murray demonstrated some superb retrieval skills to fend off two smashes but the French pair honed in on the title again at 5-4.
The best rally of the match on their second match point was a pulsating collection of quick-fire shots that finished with Herbert closing out the final at the net with a put away.
“The match point was the greatest point I have ever played in! Fair play to those guys they played a great tournament and have been playing well all year,” said Murray
“We didn’t get too many chances. We have got a lot to be proud of though, have played a lot of good tennis and are heading in the right direction.
“I am now really looking forward to getting back to playing in Glasgow in the Davis Cup.”
Andy Murray lost his first four major singles finals and his brother joked, "I'm starting to know what Andy felt like for a long time. We'll keep trying to get over the line and get a Grand Slam title."
Whiley into maiden final
Jordanne Whiley reached her first Grand Slam women’s singles final on Saturday’s penultimate day of wheelchair tennis competition at the US Open after beating Dutch world No.2 Aniek van Koot 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3.
The British No.1 and world No.5 will now play Japan’s world No. 3 and defending champion Yui Kamiji in Sunday’s final, having won the 2014 US Open women’s doubles title with Kamiji among six Grand Slam titles the pair has won together.
Whiley fought back from 2-0 down to take a commanding 5-2 first set lead against 2013 US Open champion van Koot in their semi-final. However van Koot recovered to win the tie-break, but Whiley forced the decider after winning the last two games of the second set.
The final set saw Whiley edge 4-3 ahead after a marathon seventh game and she went on to make it three games in a row after breaking van Koot’s serve with ease in the final game.
“I don't even know what to say, it's just such an amazing feeling to be in my first Grand Slam singles final,” said Whiley, who also beat van Koot in the British Open final in Nottingham in July to win the first Super Series singles title of her career.
“It was such a tough match and I was down at the start of each set but I'm really proud of the way I kept going and moving the ball around. After beating her in the final at British Open, I knew I could do it and I'm just so happy to do it on the Grand Slam stage and in front of a packed crowd, who were fantastic.”
“It will be strange playing Yui as she’s one of my best friends, as well as my doubles partner but I'll be doing everything I can to win my first singles title here at the US Open,” added Whiley, one of three Brits on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme to reach singles or doubles finals in New York.