Quitting while ahead: Pennetta wins US Open, retires

The Italian becomes oldest first-time women’s winner at a major

NEW YORK: Flavia Pennetta captured her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open on Saturday and said she was happy to head into retirement.

The 33-year-old beat fellow Italian Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to become the oldest first-time women’s winner at a major.

She then stunned the 23,000 crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium by announcing her retirement, admitting she had made the decision to quit before the tournament began.

“Before I started this tournament one month ago, I took a big decision about my life,” said the 26th seed. “I decided that this is the way I would say goodbye to tennis. This is my last US Open and I couldn’t think of finishing in a better way.”

Playing in her 11th US Open, Pennetta said she was stunned to have gone so far in the competition. “It’s a dream come true, and it’s also nice to play with a friend of mine — we have known each other since we were nine, we spend so much time together. We could write a book about our lives.”

It had been a dramatic US Open for Pennetta who had an earlier match interrupted by a drone crashing into the stadium but ended it with a winner’s cheque worth $3.3 million.

World number one Serena Williams, who was knocked out by Vinci in the semi-finals, ending the American’s dream of a calendar Grand Slam, tweeted her congratulations to Pennetta, who has succeeded her as champion.

“@flavia_pennetta 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,” wrote Williams.

Vinci, the world number 43 and a year younger than her Fed Cup teammate, was unable to repeat the form that had knocked out Williams in the semi-final. “It was tough, I passed the 24 hours with a lot of things on my mind,” said Vinci, who had shared a lunch table with Pennetta before the match. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th,  2015.

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