Flavia Pennetta defeated fellow Italian Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open women’s singles final today, taking her first Grand Slam singles title, 7-6 (4), 6-2. The 26th-seeded Pennetta, 33, is also now the oldest first-time Grand Slam singles title winner ever, and after calling the win “a dream come true” in a post-match interview, she also announced that she would be retiring from the sport. “I can’t think of a better way to finish,” she told the crowd. “This is how I would like to say good-bye to tennis.”
Pennetta and Vinci, an unseeded player in the tournament who defeated the top-seeded Serena Williams in a stunning upset yesterday, grew up playing tennis together, starting at the age of 10. Said Vinci, “I try to do my best, but Flavia played unbelievable, great match. I just have to say congrats to her.”
