Quitting while ahead: Pennetta wins US Open, retires
The Italian becomes oldest first-time women’s winner at a major
Pennetta won her first Grand Slam singles title Saturday, defeating compatriot Vinci 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in the US Open women’s final, before promptly announcing her retirement. PHOTO: AFP
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 14th, 2015.
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 14th, 2015.