Pennetta pulls Italian job to snatch US Open

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 yesterday 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 No 1 Serena Williams in the semifinals 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 quarterfinals and Romanian second seed Simona Halep in the semifinals.

Pennetta also announced her retirement from tennis. “This is the way I would like to say goodbye to tennis. I’m really happy.”

Meanwhile, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut became the first all-French duo to win the US Open men’s doubles title after easing past Britain’s Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers 6-4 6-4 yesterday.

In the second grand slam doubles final of the year for both pairs, Australian Open runners-up Herbert and Mahut finally collected their first trophy after breaking Murray and Peers on a sensational rally of close-range volleys at the net.

For Murray and Peers it was more disappointment after losing in the Wimbledon men’s doubles final in July.

It was a long overdue success for Mahut, 33, who has suffered numerous near misses over the years having lost 11 times at grand slams to the eventual champions, including on five occasions at the US Open.